It might be only pre season, but the Southern Steel did what no other New Zealand team managed to do at the weekend. Beat an Australian team.
All 10 ANZ Championship teams were in Sydney for the weekend, and played three half length and two full length games.
The Steel knocked over the Adelaide Thunderbirds 28 23 in one of three half length games on Saturday.
The win came after the Southern franchise lost a full length game to the West Coast Fever, 54 51, on Friday night, and shortened games to the Central Pulse, 34 31, and Queensland Firebirds, 33 26.
A 62 60 win against the Waikato Bay of Plenty Magic yesterday capped the side's pre season weekend.
''We had a slow start,'' Steel coach Janine Southby told the Otago Daily Times from Sydney.
''Just finding our feet and getting used to the intensity and playing as a team against other teams at this level. I think there was a little bit of an adjustment in the first couple of days.''
While it was nice to get a couple of wins, the focus of the weekend was working on combinations and cutting down on mistakes, Southby said.
''I think some good stuff happened, particularly [yesterday] when we were really tired.
''I think they maintained their intensity and focus and held on to the lead when it was challenged all the way to the end.''
The Steel and Magic were locked at 15 15 after one quarter, before the Steel took a 32 27 lead halfway through the match.
The Magic pulled to within three points with a quarter to play, but the Steel held on to finish the weekend in the best possible way.
Everyone but shooter Brooke Leaver, who is still about a week away from recovering from a back injury, got game time over the weekend.
Defender Phoenix Karaka ''got a knock to the leg'' in the final game, but the severity of the injury will not be known for a couple of days, Southby said.
Only star shooter Jhaniele Fowler Reid started in all five games, while midcourter Shannon Francois, defender Storm Purvis and Karaka started in four of the five matches.
Just who will fill the void at goal attack left by Jodie Brown's departure to the Pulse is still not known.
Te Paea Selby Rickit started three matches alongside Fowler Reid, while Sophia Fenwick started the other two.
''There were some positive signs from all of the players at some stage,'' Southby said.
''It's just about getting that consistency and nailing it for a whole game.
''They have all had court time, so it's been valuable. There is certainly lots to work on. That's the challenge now - to get back and really lift it again and tidy up on the areas that we still need to work on.''
The squad arrives home this morning and will have the next couple of days off, before spending three days in Queenstown from Wednesday.
Before opening the regular season against the New South Wales Swifts in Invercargill on March 1, the Steel will play the Pulse and Tactix in pre season games in Otaki, on February 21 22.
