The Columbus East girls soccer team gave Bloomington North goalkeeper Katie Carver a workout throughout the entire first half in the Olympians’ season opener Wednesday night.
It was not until the 29th minute that East found a way to slip through the defense. A pass forward found Addy Galarno and Carver in a footrace for the ball
Galarno won the race, delivered a soft kick and the ball slowly trickled toward the net and went in to give the Olympians the lead. The Cougars made a serious charge in the second half, but the defense slammed the door and East hung on for a 2-1 win.
The winning margin could have been much bigger if not for some great saves by Carver.
“It was a good pass from Breiana (Burton), and I saw it coming from the corner of my eye,” Galarno said. “I aimed it in a low corner, and luckily it went in.”
East coach Ilya Schwartzman said it was a great team effort.
“We are a very solid team, and we worked very, very well,” Schwartzman said. “Overall, we connected very well, and I think the girls earned this one.”
The Olympians started out aggressive out the gate in the second half, and it paid off. A ball landed at the feet of Karlee Dowd, who kicked it in to give the Olympians a quick 2-0 lead in the 41st minute.
“We pressured them right away and won the ball and got the good finish,” Schwartzman said. “It is what I expect out of the girls, and their hard work has paid off.”
The Dowd goal proved to be huge because the Cougars scored a goal 10 minutes later when Abby Cannon booted one through the defense to cut the lead in half. The East defense was pressured throughout the final 30 minutes, but it had enough in the tank to hold on to the win.
“The defense was outstanding for us,” Galarno said. “Every time, we always had someone supporting each other. We work on a lot of things in practice. We gel really well, and our freshmen that have come in have done a good job for us. Everyone worked hard, and it really came through for us today.”
