2012 NWPL Season Week Two: Cronulla continue hot streak
Watch This Space...Throughout this season of the NWPL, AWPI be providing a week by week coverage of all the results, big match previews and news and information.
Cronulla, led by Stingers goalkeeper Alicia McCormack have enjoyed another great start to the year (Anthony Pearse/Pearse Photography)
Goals, goals and more goals were scored in week two of the National Water Polo League, with a host of Aussie Stingers and Aussie Sharks stars netting multiple times.
As it currently stands, Cronulla Sharks women and Drummoyne Devils men are at the top of the table, with both teams the only undefeated sides in the competition.
The Cronulla Sharks girls have found their early season form from last year, recording five straight victories to start the 2012 season.
Last year, the Sharks went through the home and away season with just one loss, and are on track to repeat that performance, after defeating their 2011 regular season conquerors, Sydney University Lions, 7-5 on Saturday.
Having recovered from the shock news that Aussie Stingers and Cronulla veteran Rebecca Rippon retired from the sport earlier in the week, the Sharks put in a determined display to outlast the fast finishing Sydney Uni.
The visitors were up 6-2 at three-quarter time and despite a 3-1 final term by the Students, Cronulla was able to hold for the satisfying two-goal victory.
Stingers’ star Holly Lincoln-Smith was powerful as ever at centre forward netting two, while Nicola Zagame pitched in with one.
Zagame added to her season’s tally in the Sharks’ Sunday clash, scoring a game-high five goals in their 11-6 thumping of UNSW Killer Whales.
She now has 19 goals for the year, two less than Stingers teammate Zoe Arancini (21) and three less than the Hunter Hurricanes’ Sarah Mills (23).
In other women’s action, the Longmont Fremantle Marlins moved to second on the ladder with multiple wins against the Killer Whales and Balmain Tigers, while the Brisbane Barracudas and Victorian Tigers levelled a hard fought series 1-1.
The big guns of the men’s competition came out firing on the weekend, with Sydney University Lions, UNSW Wests Magpies, Brisbane Barracudas and Hunter Hurricanes all scoring 10-point plus victories.
Two-time Olympian Trent Franklin netted six for the Lions in their 18-4 demolition of Cronulla, while current Olympic squad member Johnno Cotterill did likewise for Wests in their 19-4 win. Dan Young, Rhys Howden and Billy Miller all scored bags in the Barracudas' 19-4 and 17-4 clean sweep of the Fyfe Adelaide Jets.
For the Magpies, their victory came on the back of a fantastic week for the club, with captain Daniel Swinnerton scoring a crucial goal in his team’s 8-7 win over the Fremantle Mariners in his 250th NWPL match.
Meanwhile, the Drummoyne Devils jumped to first place after recording convincing wins over the KFC Queensland Breakers.
Sharks’ stars, John Hahn and adopted Aussie Samuele Avallone, led the way in defence, while Tyler Martin and Mitch Emery dominated up front.
The Devils now face a tough task to maintain top spot with local derbies against Balmain and Sydney Uni next weekend.
For the full list of results and fixtures go to http://bit.ly/zeVYdV
For current men's ladder 
click here
For current women's ladder click here
