A fresh-faced Northern Mystics side tipped off the ANZ Championship season by almost self-imploding, eventually holding on for a 55-52 victory over last year's beaten finalists the Adelaide Thunderbirds at Waitakere Trust Stadium on Saturday.
With 11 minutes to play the Mystics were ahead by eight goals, but as has been Auckland netball's Achilles heel in recent years, they relaxed and made a number of unforced errors to let the visitors tie the game with two minutes remaining.
Only four players, in a squad of 12, returned from last year for the Mystics, who won one of five games in the pre-season.
Jamaican and former Pulse defender Althea Byfield signaled her arrival in the City of Sails with three intercepts in the opening quarter.
At the opposite end of the court former Magic and incumbent Silver Ferns shooter Maria Tutaia also settled into her new home by forming a sharp combination with Samoan international Cathrine Latu who shot at 94 percent for the match.
Latu's sharp-shooting gave the Mystics a 15-13 first-period advantage.
The Thunderbirds, a strong side, fought back hard in the second quarter, particularly in the defensive circle where English defender Geva Mentor was a menace all game.
Four of their starters were internationals, as Mentor combined with three Australians. While Thunderbirds' Jamican shooter Cara Borrego, playing netball for the first time in six years after previously securing a basketball scholarship in the United States, also impressed in pulling her side within one point, 27-26, at half-time.
In the third quarter, the Mystics brought on Silver Ferns defender Joline Henry and former Southern Steel mid-courter Jenny-May Coffin who went to centre which pushed captain Temepara George to wing-attack in what looked to be their strongest line-up.
The changes sparked a third-quarter blitz as the Mystics scored five goals in seven minutes.
Tutaia found her long-range radar to give the home side an imposing 42-36 lead heading into the final 15 minutes.
But the persistent Thunderbirds weren't done. They rallied and tied the game as close to 3,000 screaming fans riotously rose and fell with every pass and point.
The Mystics regained composure and scored the last three goals to seal the win.
Their fans left entertained and pleased, but unsure whether this exceptionally talented Mystics side can deliver consistency or heart-break.