ANZ Premiership Netball is set to light up Trusts Arena in Auckland on Saturday night as the GoSweetSpot Mystics host the Stars in their second meeting this season.

These teams last met in Round 1 where the Stars narrowly got up over the Mystics by 4 goals. This round 6 clash has even more riding on it with the Barfoot and Thompson

Northern Challenge Trophy and all important table position on the line, both teams will be desperate to come away with the spoils.

Playing with confidence and with the added drive to beat their northern sisters, Mystics Head Coach Tia Winikerei knows that the Stars will be coming out strong, “They played incredibly against us in the first game. They’ve got fire power across the court and they have the best attacking line in the competition. So we are wary of all those things.”

The Mystics and the Stars are currently sitting in third and fourth on the competition table, on the same points and are only separated by goal differential. The win on Saturday will secure that third position and give the victor some breathing space leading into the final rounds of the competition.

“We’re in the second half of the competition and all the teams have had a good look at each other. I think we’re going to need to come out with some stronger and more highly developed strategies to make sure that we can match what the Stars are going to bring. They’re going to be fierce,” says Winikerei.

The Mystics are coming off consecutive wins over the Tactix and Pulse and will look to bring their winning way onto The Trusts Arena court on Saturday, although they will be without the competitions leading defender, Catherine Hall.

“Catherine was injured in our round 5 match against Pulse. She won’t be playing this weekend as she’s still undergoing medical assessment,” says Winikerei.

The Mystics will still have a formidable defensive line up in the form of Phoenix Karaka, Charlotte Manley and Michaela Sokolich-Beatson, who will have their hands full containing Stars shooters Amelia Walmsley and Martina Salmon who are forming an impressive partnership this season.

With some of the best midcourt players in the country taking the court against each other, this match is going to be fast, smart and entertaining, as they battle it out for possession. “I expect this match to be highly skilled, a great contest and a real battle to win the Barfoot and Thompson Northern Challenge,” says Winikerei.

Get along to The Trusts Arena, Waitakere tomorrow, Saturday 16th May and help your team get the win.

This is a match not to be missed!