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Home Sweet Home!
After a three-year hiatus, the Ascot Park Hotel Southern Steel has finally returned to our fortress at ILT Stadium Southland. It’s fair to say Sunday’s 60-44 loss to the Queensland Firebirds wasn’t exactly the house-warming gift we wanted to give our fans, but it was fantastic to get our 2014 ANZ Championship campaign underway.
Our dedicated Steel members were out in force, sharing the moment with us as we created history as the first international sporting event at the new venue. Stadium Southland was always considered New Zealand’s most intimidating netball fortress, a venue where opposition teams feared to tread. It’s time to Stand Behind the Steel and make that a reality once more.
Tickets for all of our home games are on sale from ILT Stadium Southland, the Edgar Centre in Dunedin and online at www.ticketdirect.co.nz
Steel a Secret from ..PHILLIPA FINCH
Which team do you look forward to playing the most and why? Any Australian team, no explanation needed.
Do you have any secret party tricks? I can open a bottle top with my arm
Who has had the most influence on your career? My husband who has let me follow my dreams in playing netball and always supports me in everything I do.
Growing up who was your all-time favourite player? Sandra Edge
If you could be another player for a week who would it be and why? Jhaniele - to see what it's like to be so bloody tall!
FIND OUT MORE OF PHILLIPA'S SECRETS .... Click Here
 Steel Yourself for ROUND 2
Haier Pulse v Ascot Park Hotel Southern Steel
Saturday 8 March, 4.20pm
TSB Bank Arena, Wellington
Broadcast Live - FOX SPORTS 2 (AUS); SKY SPORT 3 (NZ)
Umpires: Jono Bredin & Liz Boon Reserve: Ann Hay
The Facts:
LAST MEETING: Round 14, 2013: Pulse 73 defeated Steel 64, Porirua
The Steel lead head-to-head with eight wins and four losses.
The Steel won the first eight matches between the sides and the Pulse has won the past four meetings.
The Steel started the season with an opening round loss to the Firebirds 46-60 in Invercargill while the Pulse started the season with a 44-45 Round 1 loss to the Thunderbirds in Porirua.
This will be the 3rd meeting between the sides at TSB Bank Arena in Wellington. The Steel has won all three previous meetings in at the venue.
The Steel and Pulse have played out one extra time match when they met for the very first time in 2008, the Steel winning that match 52-50.
Steel defender Phoenix Karaka played her 6th ANZ Championship match against the Firebirds in Invercargill in Round 1. Karaka started at goal keeper which was the first time she made the starting seven.
Jhaniele Fowler-Reid returned for her second ANZ Championship season in 2014 and for the first time since joining the competition she did not start the match. Fowler-Reid entered the match at half-time and ended with 20 goals from 22 attempts.
The Steel has won just two of their four ANZ Championship Round 2 matches. They defeated the Pulse 52-50 in Round 2, 2008 and the Tactix 75-56 last year.
The Pulse has won just one ANZ Championship Round 2 match. That was against the Steel in 2012 winning 47-42.
The Steel’s 46 goals against the Firebirds in Round 1 is their lowest score since Jhaniele Fowler-Reid joined the side last year. The Steel averaged 62.46 goals last season and their lowest scored was 52 goals which they scored against the Vixens in Round 10 and Magic in Round 11.
The Pulse had the second best shooting accuracy in Round 1 with 44 goals from 51 shot at 86.3 per cent accuracy.
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