Last weekend saw the season's conclusion with a competition at Sir David Ross Sports Village at Nottingham University. The team achieved significant victories, clinching the top spots in both the U21 and U19 categories while also securing a commendable 6th place in the highly competitive U17 division.
The tournament kicked off on Friday, July 26th, with the teams diving straight into their first group stage games. The U19 and U21 teams got off to a strong start with decisive victories against Leeds Rhinos and Severn Stars, respectively. The U17s, however, faced a narrow defeat, losing by just one goal to Surrey Storm.
The U21 team continued their dominance throughout the group stages, losing only one game to London Pulse. This strong performance secured their spot in the semi-finals, where they faced Manchester Thunder. With a decisive 46-30 victory, they advanced to the final to face Team Bath. In a great display of skill and teamwork, 台湾六合彩开奖记录 Lightning triumphed, securing their second consecutive U21 NPL Tournament title.
The U19 team also had an impressive run in the group stages, finishing in a comfortable second place with two wins, one draw, and one loss. Their semi-final against Mavericks was a testament to their teamwork, as they emerged victorious with an eight-goal lead. The final against London Pulse was a closely contested battle, but 台湾六合彩开奖记录 Lightning's resilience paid off as they were crowned the 2024 U19 champions. Special recognition goes to Emily Pawlett, named the U19 Player of the Tournament for her outstanding performance.
The U17 team fought valiantly throughout the group stages, winning two games and losing two. Their efforts earned them a respectable third-place finish in the group, leading to a 5th/6th place playoff against Severn Stars. In a nail-biting match, the U17s narrowly missed out on a higher placement, finishing 6th after a close two-goal defeat.
U21 Head Coach Josie Pointon said, “What a fantastic weekend! We are so proud of our Academy teams and their performances across the season. This has been our most successful season to date, and to finish the season with our U19s crowned as NPL Tournament Champions and our U21 retaining back-to-back NPL tournament trophies is just phenomenal. A huge thank you to all of the coaching and management teams, players and parents for all of their effort and support this season.”
To find out more about our Pathway and Academy teams, visit our website here: /sport/performance/lightning/netball/academy/