The naming of Harriet Somerville in the tournament team was a highlight for St Matthew's Collegiate at the Lower North Island secondary schoolgirls netball tourney played at New Plymouth last week, an event in which St Matthew's played 12th overall in the A grade section. Just 15 players from the 60teams contesting the competition made the tournament team and Somerville, a year 12 student who plays at centre and wing defence, was also included in the LINSS secondary schools squad which will play the Upper North Island regional side plus similar teams from the South Island . A national secondary schools squad will be selected from those particular teams. St Matthew's qualified for the play-offs for between ninth and 12th after losing to St Oran's 23-32 and beating St Peters 29-28 last Wednesday. The St Oran's game was closer than the final score would indicate with St Matthew's trailing just 15-19 going into the third quarter against a side which had made the top four for the last two years. Even better, halfway through that quarter St Matthew's had levelled up at 20-20 but some strong defensive work from St Oran's saw them pull away in the end. Goal attack Sophie Ross was outstanding for St Matthew's. The match with St Peters saw St Matthew's behind 19-24 going into the last quarter but with Ella Biggs, Pea Mathewson and Harriet Somerville making some timely turnovers and Sophie Ross and Rosie Broughton also impressing they recovered the lost ground and won by one goal. The first of their play off games had St Matthew's up against a top four side from the previous year in Taita College and at halftime it was level pegging at 15-15. However, St Matthew's made too many mistakes in the dying minutes and Taita won 36-31. Pip Lynch directed play throughout the goal third and she was ably supported by Harriet Somerville. That loss left St Matthew's playing off for 11th and 12th with Napier Girls and they lost 24-26 after leading 18-17 going into the last quarter. Once again St Matthew's picked up a lot of turnover ball through the good work of Milly Bell, Ella Biggs, Jesse Smith and Harriet Somerville but all too often this possession was not converted into goals.
