In a game full of close calls and near misses, Kristen Orben had the magic touch.
Orben’s goal in the 27th minute off a lead pass from Tanner Johnson was the only one to find the net Saturday night. It gave Columbus North a 1-0 victory against Columbus East in the teams’ annual rivalry battle.
“Tanner played it straight through the middle perfectly for me to just run onto,” Orben said. “I just knew I had to finish it low and finish it fast.”
Both teams had other scoring opportunities. Johnson hit one just high in the fourth minute, and Orben’s twin sister, Corrine, missed just high in the seventh minute.
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The Olympians (0-3) then just missed taking the lead when Emily Stiles put one off the crossbar in the 13th minute.
The Bull Dogs (4-0-1) then got on the board with Kristen Orben’s goal in the 27th minute.
“Kristen Orben had kind of a breathrough there and had great composure to finish it off,” North coach Derek Stewart said. “We certainly needed it.”
In the second half, Johnson missed just wide in the 54th minute, and Corrine Orben put one off the crossbar in the 58th minute.
After that, neither team came close to scoring until less than five minutes remained. East’s Alana Dwenger sent a ball to the far post that barely eluded a charging Addy Galarno, and the Bull Dogs held on for the shutout.
“We created a lot of chances,” East coach Ilya Schwartzman said. “We certainly played very hard. Both teams had chances, both teams played good defense and they had one that snuck up on us. But I’m very, very proud of the way that we played.”
North outshot the Olympians 17-11, allowing only one shot on goal. The Bull Dogs placed six shots on goal.
East’s Jenny Bastain recorded five saves. Liz Tynan had one save for North.
“It was a tough game for us,” Stewart said. “East is always very competitive, and it’s a very emotional game. (East) played a very nice game.”
