WATER POLO: The Aussie Stingers have almost pulled off one of water polo’s greatest comebacks before going down 8-7 to the USA in a thrilling gold medal match at the FINA World League Super Final in Shanghai. 

The Aussie Stingers have almost pulled off one of water polo’s greatest comebacks before going down 8-7 to the USA in a thrilling gold medal match at the FINA World League Super Final in Shanghai. 

The experienced USA team, the defending World League, World Cup and Olympic champions, got away to a blistering start, scoring twice inside the opening minutes and led 6-2 at quarter time.

From that point on the plucky Australians, playing with just three reserve field players to the USA’s five, fought tooth and nail to claw their way back into the game, at times even dominating their opponents, but the early deficit proved too much.

The medal was Australia’s fifth silver and ninth overall in 12 FINA World League competitions, a tournament they have not yet been able to win. This was also the fourth time the Stingers have fallen in the world league gold medal match to the Americans.

The USA came out of the blocks firing, scoring from centre forward and on the counter attack to build up a massive first quarter lead but the Australians fought back, winning the second quarter 3-1 with the first goal to Nicola Zagame and a second for the game each to Ash Southern and Bronte Halligan.

The third quarter was an end-to-end slugfest with opposing centre forwards Kami Craig and Australia’s Holly Lincoln-Smith battling for the ascendancy at their respective ends of the pool, neither side able to add to their half time score.

The Americans scored first in the final term but the Australians called on their team catchcry of ‘Stingers Pride’ and scored the next two goals – a third to Southern and a second to Zagame before they ran out of time.

The world league finals tournament saw many positive signs for the Stingers, not least of which was the courage and commitment shown when down on troops and in the water without experienced players at vital times, particularly in the one-goal group stage win over Italy and the gold medal game.

The Stingers will return to Australia on Tuesday and spend two weeks on home soil before heading to Hungary and Montenegro for training in preparation for the FINA World Championships in Kazan where they are set to play their opening group stage game against Greece on July 26.

Result: Australia 7 lost to USA 8
Quarters: 2-6, 3-1, 0-0, 2-1
Scorers: A Southern 3, B Halligan 2, N Zagame 2

Australia to face USA in tantalising World League final 

Australia turned in a solid defensive performance, underpinned by goalkeeper Lea Yanitsas, who withstood the Chinese attack to ensure the Stingers had no less than a two-goal buffer throughout the game. 

While good defense was a tenement of the Aussies, China turned up with a comparable effort to limit the Stingers to just two goals in the final three quarters of the game, preventing Australia from converting key opportunities. 

In the earlier semi final the USA accounted for the Netherlands 8-5 to be the first team through to the final, making tomorrow’s gold medal a game a re-match of the final of May’s FINA World League Intercontinental tournament, won by the USA 12-10 during a penalty shootout.   

Early indications were that the Stingers would again have a strong shooting game after Nicola Zagame scored on counter attack, before earning an exclusion in the next play to see South Australia’s Chloe Barr score a follow up goal. However China wised up to the Aussies strengths and managed to stifle their attack as the game wore on. 

After the fast start in the first term, the second quarter had only one goal, in favour of Stingers captain Bronwen Knox who converted a penalty attempt earned by young gun Bronte Halligan, the result seeing Australia lead 4-1 at half time. 

Although tough, the game wasn’t as physical as had been expected, with the battle again seeing a low scoring third stanza. Ash Southern converted a fine counter attack effort; while Yanitsas withstood two out of three extra man attacks from China to preserve Australia’s lead, which was 5-2 at the final change. 

It was a back and forth final quarter, with only China scoring late in the piece to draw within two goals of the lead, but it wasn’t enough to see them challenge for victory and make good on their hopes of playing in a final on home turf. 

Aussie Stingers assistant coach Dalibor Maslan highlighted the strong start of the Australians as the key to victory, saying that the result was pleasing in light of the shallow bench of reserves available due to injury.

“It was a very low scoring game, we came out very hard in the first quarter, and had strong 4-1 lead at half time. However China came out firing after that, and we could manage just one goal,” Maslan said.

“It was pretty tough going out there, especially with just three players on the bench.”

Sunday's final will be a showdown between Australia and the USA in Shanghai, China, with the game scheduled for 9pm AEST.

Water Polo Australia  

Australia cruise into World League semi finals

WATER POLO: The Aussie Stingers have moved into the semi finals at the FINA World League Super Final in Shanghai after thrashing Brazil 17-8 in their quarterfinal elimination game. 

The Australians punished the South Americans on the counter attack, at some stages scoring seemingly at will whilst forcing the Brazilians to rely on outside speculators or lobs to score. 

All nine of Australia’s field players that got into the water made the scoresheet in a solid team effort.

The victory was Australia’s fourth in a row in the tournament and puts them in a good position for tomorrow night’s semi final against either Canada or China – two teams the Stingers have beaten on this tour.

The second semi final will be between the Netherlands and the winner of the match between the USA and Russia with medals to be decided on Sunday.

Australia dominated the early stages of what was a slower paced game than the Stingers had played in their previous encounters with Italy, China and Russia.

In fact, from the time Nicola Zagame claimed the opening swim off, Ash Southern earned an exclusion in centre forward and veteran Glencora McGhie converted in extra man, all within the 45 seconds, the writing was on the wall for Brazil.

Southern added a further two goals before half time as no less than six Australians kept the scorers busy to open up an 8-3 lead at the main break.

The third term was more of an end to end goal fest with Australia going into the final period up by seven at 14-7. The scoring slowed in the final term, Australian still notching a 3-1 advantage.

Sharpshooter Ash Southern, who created history earlier this year by helping her European and Australian club sides win major domestic titles, said the team was relieved to have moved through to the semi finals.

“Obviously we are really happy to come away with the win in a quarter final,” Southern said.

“The quarters are one of the most nerve wracking matches to go into because you always want to make it into the top four and a shot at a medal.

“We can go in tomorrow with confidence to the semi. I think if we refocus, get some video sessions in once we know our opponents and really work on our defence we can do well.

“We try to keep teams under eight goals and we’ve been doing that so hopefully we can continue with that and get a win tomorrow.”

Water Polo Australia 

Undefeated Stingers progress in China

12 June

WATER POLO: Australia have moved through to the knockout phase of the FINA World League Super Finals in China after a 8-7 defeat of Italy. 

Australia vs Italy

An injury and illness riddled Australian women’s water polo team have clawed out a courageous 8-7 victory over Italy in their third and last group stage game at the FINA World League Super Final in Shanghai. 

The Aussie Stingers, with star centre back Hannah Buckling on the sidelines with a broken finger and captain Bronwen Knox fouled out before three quarter time, didn’t hit the lead until the final quarter and only sealed victory when left hander Isobel Bishop drilled home a penalty earned by teen Bronte Halligan with just 64 seconds left in the match.

Bishop ended the match with three goals, whilst sharpshooter Ash Southern snared two as Australia, down on troops, put in another inspired defensive effort.

The win comes after successive victories over China and Russia the previous two nights and leaves Australia at the top of their group and set for a likely match up with Brazil in the second stage of the tournament on Friday night at 1940 AEST.

The winner of that game will go through to a semi final on Saturday evening. The medals will be decided on Sunday.

Australia’s dual Olympic bronze medal winning coach Greg McFadden was elated with the effort of his players, sighting the mettle his team showed to cover for each other down the stretch as the key to the win.

“It was a really courageous win, we were down in staff with Hannah (Buckling) injured, Holly (Lincoln-Smith) playing limited minutes and Ash Southern recovering from asthma,” McFadden said.

“Bronwen Knox is also recovering from sickness so it was a really courageous performance. Then Bronwen gets fouled out in the middle of the third and players are playing out of position and I was very proud of the girls the way they came back and took it to the Italians and won by a goal.”

Italy were ahead 3-2 at the end of the first stanza before Australia pulled together a 2-1 advantage in the second term to have the teams locked up at the end of a very physical first half. 

The third quarter was another fast paced back-and-forth affair with both teams scoring a pair of goals – Australia’s to 20-year-old Chloe Barr and a rebound from a missed penalty to Southern.

In the fourth it was Olympian Nicola Zagame who scored first, putting the Australians up by one. Italy countered quickly to make it 7-7 before Halligan earned the penalty that Bishop converted for the win with just over a minute left.

The Italians tried valiantly to salvage a draw in the dying stages, calling an attacking time out with just six seconds remaining but the Australians were up to the challenge and repelled the final assault.

Like her coach, Bishop was bursting with pride in the team’s performance.

“It’s been a long tour in China and the girls put up a really gutsy effort tonight to come out ahead,” Bishop said.

“It was only one goal but a win is a win and that was just a super gutsy effort against Italy. I can’t be more proud of our team right now.”

Result: Australia 8 bt Italy 7
Quarters: 2-3, 2-1, 2-2, 2-1
Scorers: I Bishop 3, A Southern 2, B Knox, C Barr, N Zagame

Australia vs China

The Aussie Stingers have outclassed hosts China 11-5 in their second round robin game of the women’s FINA World League Super Final in Shanghai. 

The victory over the Chinese in their home pool comes a night after Australia put in a stellar defensive display to restrict Russia to just four goals in an impressive 8-4 first up victory in the tournament that is the main lead-in to this year’s world championships.

Teenager Bronte Halligan contributed three goals, all in a four goal third quarter blitz by the Australians, whilst Nicola Zagame added a pair to her treble from the previous evening.

Australia jumped out of the blocks in the opening quarter, grabbing a 4-1 lead courtesy of goals to rising star Hannah Buckling and London Olympians Bronwen Knox, Ash Southern and Zagame.

Both sides netted a pair of goals in the second term before Halligan blazed home her third quarter treble, that with Zagame’s second and a clean sheet at the defensive end, gave Australia a massive seven-goal advantage.

Halligan, the daughter of New Zealand rugby league international Daryl Halligan, was eager to play down her own performance and said that despite the scoreline the Australians still had areas to improve.

“I think it was good in patches but very up and down at times,” the level headed Halligan said.

“We’ve been trying to settle our game, whilst still playing at a high intensity, which I think we did quite well tonight.

“There were a few good counter attack goals and a few good individual performances that set us up for the win.”

China got two goals back in the final quarter but the game was well and truly over before then and the focus of the Australians had turned to their next game.

Australia's third game of the FINA World League Super Final will be against European powerhouse Italy tomorrow night at 1820 AEST. The Italians also handed China a five goal defeat, 11-6, in their opening game on Tuesday.

Halligan said she was expecting a physical game against the hot Italian side.

“Italy are always fun, it’s always a rough game but it will be a good chance for us to have a tough game before the second half of the tournament,” Halligan said.

Result: Australia 11 bt China 5
Quarters: 4-1, 2-2, 4-0, 1-2
Scorers: B Halligan 3, N Zagame 2, H Buckling 2, B Knox, A Southern, K Gofers, I Bishop

Australia vs Russia

While both teams put in a strong opening, that saw them matched on three goals apiece at quarter time, it was the Stingers who would eventually edge ahead to build a four-goal advantage over the final three quarters to open their week in Shanghai in the best possible way.

Following the tight opening term, it was the second stanza that provided Australia with an early reprieve as Keesja Gofers and Nicola Zagame both scored to hand the Stingers a two-goal buffer, while keeping Russia scoreless for the Aussies to be leading 5-3 at the half time break.

Although the Stingers again prevented Russia from scoring in the third term, goals were equally hard to come by for Australia, Zagame the only scorer as she added her second of three for the game.

It was again a tough battle in the fourth term as Russia found the back of the cage, albeit once, while the Stingers responded with a further two goals to put the victory beyond doubt.

Result: Australia 8 bt Russia 4
Quarters: 3-3, 2-0, 1-0, 2-1
Scorers: N Zagame 3, G McGhie 2, B Knox, K Gofers, B Halligan

WATER POLO AUSTRALIA