The Black and Yellows face Superleague’s newcomers on their home turf, but it is the venue that has brought them considerable success in the past. Thunder famously won the Grand Final with a last-gasp Helen Housby goal in 2014 and the players will be hoping for another positive outcome this weekend.
Stars will be looking to bounce back from two consecutive defeats, while Thunder continue their push for a play-off spot. The Stars squad includes a number of former Thunder players, including their captain Laura Malcolm. However Thunder coach Karen Greig insists her players will approach this match just like any other. She said: “We’ve got plenty of footage on them so we’re making sure we do our homework this week and make sure we have a solid game plan and push on for the next three points. I don’t think there’s any pressure on us what so ever. I’ve got 12 players here that want to play for Thunder and that want to win so it doesn’t matter who’s on the other team.”
Greig’s sentiment was echoed by her captain, Emma Dovey, who is also keen to bag another three points in the hunt for that important top-four spot and the chance to play at the Manchester Arena in the play-offs. She added: ”I think we’ve got to see it as just another game because at times where we go into games thinking it’s a big game and we don’t perform how we want to, so we’ve just got to think it’s a normal game and go into it with confidence.”
Stars v Thunder, 7.30pm, Worcester Arena
Preview by Denise Evans