Tralee Magic U18 Girls edged out in National League quarter-final
Tralee Magic’s U18 Girls saw their excellent National League campaign come to an end on Saturday, as they were narrowly beaten 54-50 by Kilkenny Stars in the All-Ireland quarter-final.
Tralee Magic’s U18 Girls saw their excellent National League campaign come to an end on Saturday, as they were narrowly beaten 54-50 by Kilkenny Stars in the All-Ireland quarter-final.
It was a hugely disappointing way for the national season to finish, especially in a game that was far closer than the final scoreline alone might suggest. Kilkenny started strongly and led 17-9 at the end of the first quarter before extending that advantage to 37-26 by half-time. Magic kept battling throughout, however, and showed great character to stay in touch before finishing with a strong final quarter, winning it 13-4.
That late surge brought Tralee right back into the contest, but Kilkenny managed to hold on and book their place in the semi-final.
Magic can count themselves unlucky not to have got over the line. The margins were so fine that on another day, it could easily have been a very different story.
Aimee Turner led the scoring for Tralee Magic with 13 points, including three three-pointers, while Muireann Teahan added 11. Emily Flynn scored 7, Lauren Lawlor finished with 6, and Evie O’Sullivan and Gracie O’Sullivan both chipped in with 4. Priya O’Donovan added 3 points and Anna O’Sullivan scored 2. Sophie Mitchell and Abby Crowley also made a big impact with the energy they brought at both ends of the floor, applying strong defensive pressure, getting after every ball, and helping to lift Magic’s intensity with their off-the-ball work.
While this defeat will sting, it should not take away from what has been a superb National League campaign from this group. Winning 6 of their 7 games and reaching an All-Ireland quarter-final is a serious achievement, and further proof that this team is consistently competing with the best in the country.
That was reinforced even more when Kilkenny Stars went on to win their semi-final by 14 points. It is not where Tralee Magic wanted their journey to end, but it does underline that these girls are operating at a very high level and remain among the top teams in Ireland. Even more encouragingly, there is still massive room for growth right across this squad.
A huge thank you goes to all the players for their effort, commitment and togetherness throughout the season, and also to the parents, families and supporters who travelled all over Ireland to back the team. That support has been a huge part of this campaign.
The National League season may be over, but there is still more to play for. With a KABB Cup Final coming up in the next few weeks, Tralee Magic will be hoping to finish their county league season strongly and hopefully bring home a bit of silverware.
