By Jonty Ralphsmith
Pakenham’s youth league women’s season has come to a close, after they were unable overcome a poor start against Wyndham in the elimination final.
The young team was overwhelmed by Wyndham’s defensive intensity in the first quarter, which the hosts won 16-3.
The Warriors fell further behind at halftime, not looking like scoring when they went forward, and found it difficult to stop Wyndham prime movers Aleks Connolly and Jasmine Goodman.
They clawed their way back into it during the third quarter, closing to within two points at the last break, led by 10 Tylah Scorah points in that period.
But three Goodman threes when the game was on the line ensured the hosts never surrendered the lead.
Coach Ben Gaze was optimistic about making finals at the start of the season, however that task was made difficult when the team fell to 0-4.
A first-year coach, and with just six players returning to the team from last season, it took some time for the Warriors to gel on court.
Pakenham won 11 of their remaining 18 games after those initial blemishes, including wins over fourth-placed Camberwell and fifth-placed McKinnon.
“We had new offensive philosophies and systems, so it took the group (some time) to learn what they needed to do and where they needed to do it,” Gaze said.
“We played a high tempo pace.
“We pushed the ball when we could, we’ve got some versatile players, but overall, we’re in a great position.
“The girls are going to get better next year as they get more familiar with each other.”
Positively, none of the Pakenham players age out, so the squad should remain stable next season.
Rhiannon Gallagher, nominated for All-Star Five, was crucial with her three-point shooting, while Scorah was consistently an offensive barometer.
Chelsea Schreuder stepped up with increased responsibility this season, and Chloe Zielinski also caught the coach’s attention.
“She’s a small player for the (small forward/power forward) position, and is leading rebounder for the year for us,” Gaze said.
“Her work ethic and ability to get underneath people and calmly rebound was huge for us especially when she was making layups.”
