The Atlanta Lady Kookaburras and Milwaukee Lady Bombers took another step forward for their sport last week playing a game in Milwaukee without the host club playing a mens game on the same day. This comes after the first all women's tournament the Duel in the Desert in Phoenix Arizona earlier in the year and indicates the days of the sport being entirely male dominated in the USA are well and truly over. The Milwaukee Lady Bombers hosted last weeks game after the men's game was canceled between the two clubs on June 14th and a suitable rescheduled date could not be found.

So the Atlanta Lady Kookaburras came to Wisconsin alone looking to keep their unbeaten run intact. The Lady Bombers were playing their first full game of the year having sent a handful of players to the Arizona event to help out but were sure to be eager for a good showing in front of their home crowd.

The game started very evenly with opposing rucks Michelle Buchicchio for Milwaukee and Meghan Brown for Atlanta battling it out in the middle. Just as even was the tussle between Milwaukee midfielder and team Captain Denielle David and Atlanta's Diana Pizzari. Up forward for the Kookaburras their Captain Judith Stein would take a hand in the first goal with a slick handball over a defender to half forward flanker Sue Marsh who duly slotted through the first of the game. Marsh second goal was more of an individual effort breaking free from the Milwaukee defense minutes later to score on the run. For Milwaukee Suzy Thomas was able to snap truly late in the term and give the spirited home team and their fans some early joy. At the first break there was just a goal the difference in the scores with both teams having plenty of the ball.

Quarter two was one for the Lady Kookaburras. Jenny Sarbacker started to become a damaging player and difficult for the Bombers to stop. With Pizzari adding to the midfield game the Lady Kookas were too consistent for the Bombers. Apart for some confusion in understanding some umpiring decisions by an umpire who had laryngitis of all things, the visitors started to slip away from the Bombers with four unanswered goals. The Bombers went forward several times but players like Kubicek and Murdock for Atlanta were tough to break through. The taller Katie Grist had also come into the ruck and was starting to have an influence on proceedings. At the main break the Lady Kookas had moved out to a 31 point lead.

The Lady Bombers with several new players playing their first game battled hard all day their third quarter although not reflective on the scoreboard looked to be their best. Denielle David was continuing to be the biggest thorn in the Kookas side and Katie Kraus and Helen Spink were certainly getting plenty of the ball. For the Lady Kookas they added three more goals for the quarter with two to Stein who was winning the battle with Kathryn Hogg of the Bombers and a goal was added by Dewi Mitchell. At three quarter time the Lady Kookas were leading 9.4.58 to 1.2.8

The last quarter was left to the Lady Kookas to stretch out and breeze away to a big win. With seven goals the Lady Kookas handballed themselves to success with Sarbacker and Pizzari leading the way. Up forward Sue Marsh and Judith Stein finished off all the good work and the Lady Kookas won comfortably in the end. The Lady Bombers although down a few players tried hard all day and for a few lapses in the second and last quarters were very competitive and are sure to be better for the game.

Atlanta Lady Kookaburras 16.7 (103)
Milwaukee Lady Bombers 1.2 (8)

Best Players
Atlanta: Diana Pizzari, Jenny Sarbacker, Sue Marsh, Katie Grist, Judith Stein
Milwaukee: Katie Krauss, Denielle David, Helen Spinks, Megan Krauss, Suzy Thomas

Goalkickers:
Atlanta: Judith Stein 5, Sue Marsh 4, Jenny Sarbacker 2, Betty Pat 2, Diana Pizzari, Dewi Mitchell & Kim Wilkins 1 each.
Milwaukee: Suzy Thomas 1.

Umpire: Chris "Q" Ballman

Crowd: 50 (and several dogs)

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