MATCH REPORT : Magic pull one out of the hat to topple Steel

by Kate Buchanan
Victory did a disappearing act on the Ascot Park Hotel Southern Steel when it took on the Waikato-Bay of Plenty Magic in Rotorua on Monday night.
The highly-anticipated showdown between two of last year's ANZ Championship semi-finalists certainly lived up to expectations with the Magic only clinching the 47-41 win in the dying minutes.
The scoreline arguably flattered the Magic, who were masterfully contained for the majority of the clash by a Steel unit which conjured up a few tricks of its own.
The Southerners led 15-13 after the opening spell and 24-23 at halftime, but trailed 30-33 heading into the final stanza after a quarter where both teams were guilty of coughing up possession.

READ FULL MATCH REPORT

PLAYER PROFILE : Megan Dehn

When it comes to leading by example, you can count on Ascot Park Hotel Southern Steel captain Megan Dehn to do precisely that.
A key component of the Steel for the past two campaigns, the former Australian representative earned the captaincy honour this year and – whether it's slogging it out at training or slotting goals on court – she's hailed as one of the hardest workers in the team.
Megan's the epitome of dedication and it's a trait that stems from within.
“When I'm training or when I'm doing something, I don't want to fail and I want to do the best that I can,” she said.
“Even if I get tired, I just can't give up because as soon as I stop I think `why did you quit' and get really angry with myself. It's mostly my own pride – you can't cheat yourself and you can't get away from yourself later on when you have cheated can you.”

READ MEGAN'S FULL PROFILE

Make sure you don't miss the next Ascot Park Hotel Southern Steel HOME GAME against the Haier Appliances Central Pulse on Monday 5th April in Dunedin for your chance to win a fantastic LG GW300 mobile phone at halftime !

LG GW300 : Exclusive to Vodafone        RRP $299

Slim, sleek and colorful, The LG GW300 is a phone that screams “trendy” and easily fits into your hands. Not only that, but the QWERTY Keyboard lets you text faster and easier. Enjoy texting just like online chatting with Threaded SMS. You can now keep your text threads in one conversation screen. The LG GW300 supports a 3.5mm headphone jack and with expandable memory of up to 2GB MicroSD, you can now enjoy your music while you are on the go.

RIVALRY ROUND

Rivalry Round will be contested in Round 4, where true country pride will be on the line. It is the five Australian teams up against the five New Zealand teams. In Round 4 next weekend, the total number of goals scored by all five Australian and all five NZ teams is added up, and the country with the highest cumulative score wins the Rivalry Round Trophy. Watch the Rivalry Round action on SKY Sport from 10 to 12th April.

A fan from one lucky ANZ Championship team will win the Ultimate Inner Sanctum experience this season in the Back your Team competition.

You and a friend could be sitting courtside at an ANZ Championship match, meet the team after the game and win other great prizes. Simply go to anz-championship.com and vote for your favourite ANZ Championship Team to go into the draw.

New Steel Apparel Just Arrived ! : TEE SHIRTS

SHOW YOUR COLOURS IN THESE STYLISH SUPPORTERS TEE-SHIRTS.

Ladies sizes : 10 to 18  only $35  

Girls sizes :  8 to 16 only $30

Available now. To order, email : melanie@southernsteel.co.nz
or phone 03 217 1303 or buy yours at the next Steel Home Game .

PLUS : Check out the great range of Southern Steel Merchandise CLICK HERE

FURTHER NEW SEASON STOCK ARRIVING SOON

The Ascot Park Hotel Southern Steel are proudly supported by the following sponsors

Skins, Strawberry Sound, Venture Southland, Meridian Mall, The Southland Times, Otago Daily Times, Massage Therapy Centre, Balance Physique, Solid Energy, H & J Smith, Allied Materials, McCallum's Drycleaning, 100% Selectrix Invercargill, Brownies Mattress Direct, Creation Signs, Neptune Water Carriers, Yellow Pencil Brand Sharp, C & G Rothbury, Coats and Schuck Jewellers, World Gym, Southland Real Estate, Plaza Supervalue, City Chiropractic, Arthur Barnett, Envious Photography, Riverside Rentals, Soeur Design, Stems on St Andrew.