USA Wins Opening Game of Bank of America WYNC 2005

What a fabulous evening and a wonderful start to the Championships for the USA team.

The USA played Bermuda in the Opening Game of the Bank of America World Youth Netball Championships - the first major Netball tournament to be held on US soil, but the 5th WYNC overall.

The USA Team Starting Line Up:
GS - Taneisha Morrison
GA - Nerida Peever
WA - Sara Peever (Vice Captain)
C - Renee Thompson
WD - Alicia Browne
GD - Saskia Small (Captain)
GK - Ashlin Humphreys

Coach: Sharon Fluxman
Assistant Coach: Sonia Rodney-Johnson
Manager: Dr. Yvonne Antoine

The Bermuda Team Starting Line Up:
GS - Frederica "Peaches" Samuels
GA - Danielle Raynor
WA - Ebonie Burgess
C - Ayanna Wolfe (Co-Captain)
WD - Karlandra Smith
GD - Stacia Ming
GK - Michele Romaine (Co-Captain)

Coach: Debra Saltur
Trainer: Anthony Mouchette
Manager: Cherie Manders

The game was very exciting - the home crowd willing the home team to a convincing victory over Bermuda. USA 45 - Bermuda 33. The stadium seats 3,500 spectators and a crowd of over 1,000 were there to see the US take their first victory of the Championships. The USA had a slow start and were trailing at the end of the first quarter, but started to pick up momentum with Taniesha Morrison and Nerida Peever working so well together in the circle. Sara Peever, Nerida's sister, played WA and fed some wonderful balls into the circle. Center - Renee Thompson - had many intercepts and leapt like a gazelle around court. Ashlin Humphreys switched to GD and in combination with Saskia Small as GK provided an awesome defense.

Quarter by Quarter scores:
1st Q: USA 8 : Bermuda 9
2nd Q: USA 20 : Bermuda 16
3rd Q: USA 36 : Bermuda 23
4th Q: USA 45 : Bermuda 33

News Reports On the Game:
http://www.sun-sentinel.com/sports/sfl-netball22jul22,0,2905489.story
http://www.miami.com/mld/miamiherald/sports/12193162.htm (Note: Score inadvertently switched - will be amended)

Other News:
http://www.sun-sentinel.com/news/local/southflorida/sfl-cnetballjul21,0,2997846.story
http://www.sun-sentinel.com/news/local/broward/sfl-cnetballboxjul21,0,6647214.story
http://www.sun-sentinel.com/sports/sfl-netside21jul21,0,3556256.story
http://www.sun-sentinel.com/news/local/southflorida/sfl-netballrosterjul21,0,6733518.story
http://www.miami.com/mld/miamiherald/news/local/states/florida/counties/broward_county/12182467.htm

More later ...
H.



More stats to come later ...