The Columbus North girls soccer team celebrated senior day Saturday in the regular season finale versus Franklin.
The Bull Dogs put on one of their strongest efforts of the season and controlled the match from the start to send the seniors home happy with a 4-0 victory.
“We really wanted to come out hard as a team and work together to have a good win,” North senior co-captain Marina Hughes said.
Emotions were already running high before the game as the 10 seniors were honored with a ceremony.
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“I don’t think it has sunk in much yet,” Hughes said. “This is our last home game, and I think the emotions will start showing once we start playing in the sectional.”
North senior co-captain Emma Wilson agreed.
“It is a little bit sentimental, but I don’t think it has even hit me yet,” Wilson said. “We have to stay in the mindset to keep going forward. I don’t know if it will truly hit me until we lose.”
The seniors on this squad have meant a lot this season to North coach Derek Stewart.
“They are just a phenomenal young group of girls, not only as student athletes, but also as soccer players,” he said. “They are really good role models for the players coming up and we are certainly going to miss them next year.”
The Bull Dogs (9-2-4) got on the scoreboard in the 26th minute when Natalie Teo found Addy Lang, who kicked it hard at Franklin goalkeeper Mysia DeWitt. The ball deflected off of DeWitt’s hands and in the net.
In the final minute of the first half, North capitalized when Christy DeDomenic’s shot deflected off a defender, but Caroline Hollenkamp was there to clean it up for a 2-0 lead.
North added two more goals in the second half. In the 54th minute, Tanner Johnson had an unassisted goal when she controlled a header to herself and got past the defender to put it away. Lang netted her second goal of the game in the 57th minute when she collected the ball after a broken up pass and finished on the play that found the net.
The Bull Dogs have plenty of momentum heading into sectional play against Seymour on Thursday.
“We have a lot of energy in games and a lot in practice. We came off a very good win, and now we have a ton of confidence going into sectional,” Wilson said. “We have been playing very well and finding our niche. Our communication has gone up in the seniors and along with the underclassmen, as well.”
Hughes agreed.
“We are doing pretty well and are getting into a groove, and we know how to possess the ball well,” Hughes said. “If we can do that, we have a really good shot.”
