North girls soccer still winless … and lossless

The Columbus North girls soccer team saw plenty of chances to finally break into the win column in Saturday’s contest against Lawrenceburg.

The Bull Dogs could not find a way to finish the opportunities, however. The Tigers also saw plenty of chances to get on the scoreboard but could not convert either as the teams settled for a 0-0 draw.

“Today, I thought we played a little better,” North coach Derek Stewart said, referring to Wednesday’s season-opening tie with Heritage Christian. “Our back line was stronger and more consistent. We got a little bit tired in the midfield with different formations, so it is a different lineup. We are still trying to see who’s who. We are getting closer. We gave a great effort, but a little bit disappointed in the end result.”

It was an even matchup most of the game. The Bull Dogs (0-0-2) finished with four shots on goal, while Lawrenceburg finished with five shots on goal. North goalkeeper Liz Tynan recorded six saves, and Tigers goalkeeper Erin Hill had four saves.

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The Bull Dogs’ best scoring chance came in the 56th minute when Addy Lang beat her defender to the ball in a foot race. Lang booted a laser shot at the goal, but it landed right at the hands of Hill.

“We had much higher intensity, but we are not connecting our passes really as much as we should,” Lang said. “We have been improving each game, though.”

Lang, a senior, was eager to get back on the pitch after missing her entire junior season with a torn ACL. She started playing for her club soccer team during the summer.

“It feels great, and it feels like normal again,” Lang said. “It’s really cool to be playing back at high school with everyone.”

Lawrenceburg had a chance in the 61st minute when Holly Nutley found open space in the North defense. A shot attempt by Nutley just barely went over the crossbar.

The Bull Dogs have plenty of time to fine tune themselves by the end of the season.

“We played better than our last game, but we are still progressing, and it is going to take a lot of work to get where we need to be,” senior midfielder Natalie Teo said. “We had a pretty good amount of opportunities today, but we could not finish.”

Stewart agreed.

“We need to continue to work on the technique and just finishing in general,” he said. “A lot of it is repetition, and a lot of it is mindset and taking advantage of your opportunities. It is going to be a long season if we can’t finish those opportunities.”