Women’s A1: Top dogs don’t trip up in Italy

January 31, 2023

Dafne Bettini (Ekipe). Photo: Ekipe Orizzonte Facebook

Nothing changed significantly in the Italian women’s league this past weekend.

On the 11th matchday of the women’s Italian A1, Plebiscito Padova dominated Bogliasco today with a 16-7 win, fuelled by four goals from Vanda Valyi and three from Hayley McKelvey. Despite Bogliasco’s valiant effort, led by goalkeeper Valeria Uccella, Plebiscito dominated the game.

Meanwhile, on Saturday, SIS Roma continued their winning streak with a 14-8 victory over Rapallo, led by striker Chiara Ranalli’s five goals. Ekipe kept pace with Plebiscito, securing a 14-6 win against Trieste, thanks to four goals from the league’s second-top goal-scorer, Alice Williams.

In the other games at the weekend, RN Florentia defeated Brizz Nuoto 11-5, while Bologna comfortably beat Como by a ten-goal margin.

Plebiscito Padova 16 – 7 Bogliasco 1951 (3-1 5-2 4-1 4-3)

Padova: L. Teani, L. Barzon 2, V. Valyi 4, G. Citino 2, E. Queirolo 1, A. Casson 2, A. Millo 2, S. Dario, H. Mckelvey 3, C. Meggiato , S. Centanni, A. Masri, C. Giacon.

Bogliasco 1951: V. Uccella, A. Riccio, P. Di Maria 1, G. Cuzzupe’ 1, A. Mauceri, G. Millo 1, G. Lombella 1, R. Rogondino 1, M. Paganello, G. Cavallini 1, A. Perazzoli, D. Spampinato 1.

Plebiscito secured a resounding 16-7 victory over Bogliasco in their rearranged fixture, following their thrilling quarterfinal performance in the Euro Cup.

Led by the impressive play of Vanda Valyi, who scored a remarkable four goals, and Hayley McKelvey, who added three of her own, Plebiscito dominated the game from start to finish.

Despite a stunning early penalty save by Bogliasco’s keeper Valeria Uccella, Plebiscito didn’t let up, and stamped their authority on the game, fueled by a brace from McKelvey. The unstoppable duo of Valyi and McKelvey added two more goals each, building an 8-3 lead by halftime, with the only thing to cheer for Bogliasco was a second, excellent, penalty save from Ucella.

The third quarter was all Plebiscito, as they put the game out of reach with extra-player conversions from Citino, Valyi, and Queirolo. A missed penalty for Bogliasco’s Giulia Millo summed up a miserable day for the travelling side (12-4).

In the final quarter, Plebiscito continued to dominate, and despite power play goals from Cazzupe, Di Maria, and Cavallini for Bogliasco, it was Plebiscito’s afternoon to shine, as they sealed the win and sent Bogliasco back to Liguria with nothing to show for their efforts.

Played this weekend

SIS Roma 14 – 8 Rapallo Pallanuoto (5-3, 3-1, 3-1, 3-3)

Roma: E. Eichelberger, M. Misiti, G. Galardi 1, Carosi 1, S. Giustini, C. Ranalli 5, D. Picozzi 2, C. Tabani 3, C. Nardini, L. Di Claudio, A. Cocchiere 1, Andrews 1, Galbani.

Rapallo : S. Caso, N. Zanetta 1, U. Gitto 1, I. Rossi 1, D. Carrasco Leyva, L. Vanelo, L. Bianco, B. Cabona 1, S. Costa, Marcialis 1, R. Bianconi, G. Apilongo 3. All. Antonucci

League leaders, SIS Roma, came away with an eleventh successive league win with a 14-8 win over play-off hopefuls, Rapallo.

The match was a dynamic one, with thirty exclusions in the match, which suited the hosts more than the guests.

Striker Chiara Ranalli, who is wriggling her way into the plans of her national team head coach, led the way for the leagues top-team with five goals, while Setterosa sharp-shooter, Chiara Tabani, bagged three.

The Romans started on the front foot, with a typically strong offensive rhythm. Rapallo dug in, but soon trailed by four scores, in part courtesy of two penalty strikes from Ranalli and captain Picozzi (8-4).

The same two scorers – Ranalli and Picozzi – converted extra-player moves to press home Roma’s advantage. Three late power-play strikes for Rapallo had no impact on the result.

Brizz Nuoto 5 – 11 RN Florentia (1-5, 1-3, 1-3, 2-0) 1 – 5 1 – 3 1 – 3 2 – 0

Brizz: H. Santapaola, F. Sapienza 2, A. Vitaliano, N. Sasover, A. Arcidiacono, M. Spampinato, C. Cappello, I. Pane, G. Pastanella, V. Santoro 1, M. Giuffrida 2, A. Milicevic, F. Paladino.

Florentia: C. Banchelli 1, E. Gabelli, L. Lepore 2, S. Cordovani, G. Gasparri 1, N. Vittori 1, L. Nesti 3, B. Mugnai 1, E. Capaccioli, B. Merli, I. Landi 2, C. Barbieri, G. Pellegrino.

RN Florentia enjoyed a healthy 11-5 victory over Brizz Nuoto in a win that took Aleksandra Cotti’s team three points clear of their matchday eleven opponents.

Florentia kept Brizz at an arm’s length for the majority of the game, and deservedly took the points back to the Tuscan capital. Building a 5-1 lead after the first eight minutes, which included a score from their keeper, the Setterosa’s Caterina Banchelli gave them space to manoeuvre. Consecutive 3-1 quarters was enough to seal the victory, even if Brizz incited a short-lived comeback in the last.

Letizia Nesti (Florentia) netted three-strikes for her side in the game, accompanied by a double score from twenty-year-old defender Marina Lepore.

While Florentia have struggled to find goals all season, with a lack of a really prolific goal-scorer, it was Brizz who really struggled in offence in this game, with a pittiful zero goals from twelve extra-player opportunities. Carlo Zilleri’s side continues their search for points, having lost their last four games, but they are unlikely to have any joy in their next fixture – the Catania derby with high-flyers Ekipe.

Ekipe Orizzonte 14 – 6 Pallanuoto Trieste (2-1, 4-1, 6-2, 2-2)

Orizzonte: L. Celona, B. Halligan 2, C. Grasso 1, G. Viacava 1, V. Gant, D. Bettini 1, V. Palmieri, C. Marletta 2, G. Gagliardi 2, A. Williams 4, T. Lombardo, M. Leone 1, A. Condorelli.

Trieste: F. Sparano, D. Vomastkova 1, E. De March 1, E. Sblattero, G. Marussi, L. Cergol 1, G. Klatowski, F. Colletta 1, G. Zizza, J. Vukovic 1, I. Riccioli, R. Santapaola 1, S. Ingannamorte.

Ekipe avoided tripping up in their contest with Trieste, running out 14-6 winners at home.

Four goals from the league’s second highest scorer – Alice Williams – led the reigning champions on their quest in this match, which keeps them level on points with second placed, Plebiscito Padova.

With their superior attacking line, Ekipe found some easy on the eyes extra-player conversions, netting from all of their power plays. Trieste, on the other hand, passed up too many similar opportunities.

The opening exchanges of the game were even, but three consecutive scores in the second quarter (Marletta, Gagliardi and Williams) tilted the balance in the favour of Martina Miceli’s team.

Trieste’s problems were compounded further, with another four-goal suckerpunch from the Scilians, with Marletta, Bettini, Halligan and Viacava all joining the goal-scoring fun, and confirming the three points.

Ekipe invite their newly promoted city rivals Brizz to the Piscina di Nesima next week, while Trieste have a big battle in the hunt for fourth place against Rapallo.

RN Bologna 13 – 3 Como Nuoto (4-0, 3-0, 5-2, 1-1)

RN Bologna: O. Sesena, A. Repetto 1, V. Perna 2, R. Lekness 2, A. Mazzia 1, E. Farneti, C. Morselli, M. Lepore 1, M. Marchetti 1, F. De Vincentiis 1, E. Altamura 4, F. Toth, M. Allotta.

Como Nuoto: G. Frassinelli, M. Romano, M. Fisco, J. Tedesco 2, E. Borg, A. Giraldo, R. Bianchi 1, A. Iannarelli, B. Romano, G. Lanzoni, A. Cassano, F. Cattaneo, A. Volpato.

Bologna dominated Como this weekend by a sizeable ten-score margin (13-3).

Four scores from Bologna’s summer signing from Verona, Elena Altamura propelled Andrea Posterivo’s side to a victory that, in truth, was over a long time before the final whistle.

Last week against Rapallo, Bologna found themselves 9-0 down in the first half. They might have taken some notes, because they almost emulated that feat against Como, taking a 7-0 lead after sixteen minutes.

Como barely competed, and you’d be forgiven for not noticing them in the first half. Bologna, who were bottom of the league before this duel, but it was Como who looked like a side in trouble in this fixture. Two of Como’s three goals came via 6 on 5 moves.