Bull Dogs blank Cardinals in Conference Indiana showdown

For most of Tuesday night’s Conference Indiana boys soccer match, neither Columbus North nor Southport seemed likely to put a goal on the scoreboard.

With one hard sprint out by North’s Todd Liggett, that all changed.

In the 61st minute, Liggett sent a shot into the back of the net off a Finn Anderson assist, putting the Bull Dogs on the board en route to a 2-0 victory.

The first half consisted of tough defense and minimal good looks offensively for both teams. Heading into the half tied, North coach Andy Glover said his team didn’t make any adjustments and stayed the course of what they were doing.

“To be honest, they are a tough nut to crack,” Glover said. “They were difficult to beat and very very fast. Their speed of play was quicker than ours at moments.”

The second half started with Southport controlling the ball and tempo and threatening to put a goal on the board. A tough defensive stand by the Bull Dogs (9-4-1, 5-2) allowed them to gain back possession and momentum.

Liggett then strung together a few strong runs, coming close each time until finally scoring in the 61st minute.

“The first few, I wasn’t getting on the end, and I wasn’t in the correct position,” Liggett said. “It was a perfect ball sent into me, lofted with good pace, and I just got onto the end of it and managed to put it past the goal keeper.”

North continued to control the game in the second half, putting six of its eight shots on goal for the night, outshooting the Cardinals by three.

With three minutes to play in the match, Zach Friend lined up a deep free kick for the Bull Dogs, bouncing it perfectly for Alex McGill to tap into the net, capping off the victory.

“The strength of the conference and the strength of the schedule is by design,” Glover said of what this win does for his team moving forward. “That better prepares us to be disciplined and persistent when it matters most toward the end of the season.”