The Columbus North girls soccer team celebrated senior night during Monday’s Conference Indiana matchup with Bloomington North at Richard Wigh Soccer Complex.
The Bull Dogs went on the attack offensively and sent their seniors home on a happy note with a 7-0 victory, their ninth in a row.
“It’s crazy that this has gone by so fast,” Columbus North senior Kaylyn Bates said. “Honestly, the memories are times like this after the game or before the game when we are all just together, hopefully, celebrating and knowing we did well. Even though we’ve won and lost a few games, the things I’ll remember is being all together and happy.”
The Class 3A No. 16 Bull Dogs (9-1, 3-0) got on the board in the fifth minute with a goal from Jenna Lang to make it 1-0. A couple minutes later, Lauryn Whitley’s corner kick could have made a Sports Center’s Top Ten moment when her kick went slightly to the right, but then took a strong bend back to the left and hit the back part of the net untouched for a 2-0 lead.
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Whitley’s goal off the corner kick is known as the “Olympic goal” that dates back to 1924 Olympics when Argentina’s Cesáreo Onzari first scored off that kick and defeated Uruguay.
“I’ve never seen that in my high school coaching, but I have seen that happen in club,” North coach David Young said. “She hit it perfect, and it is nice.”
The Bull Dogs extended the lead to 3-0 when Marely Olguin found the net in the ninth minute. Lang extended the lead with her second goal of the game off an assist from Caroline Hollenkamp in the 26th minute to make it 4-0.
Early in the second half, Lang completed the hat trick with a goal in the 44th minute. Hollenkamp then got in on the act with a long-distance shot that bounced through the goalkeeper’s hands for a 6-0 lead.
Lang wasn’t finished there. She ended up with the haul — which is scoring four goals in a game — in the 63rd minute for the 7-0 final.
With her four goals, Lang has 21 on the season, which is five short of the her sister Addy’s single season of 26.
“Especially being senior night, we wanted to get everyone out on the field,” Lang said. “Our goal was to score as many as we could and keep it flowing and making it easier for us. We played really well. It didn’t matter who scored, we just all had a good time.”
North coach David Young said he’s appreciated his senior class of Bates, Hollenkamp, Olguin, Hannah Grimes, Abby Hovis, Alayne Davis and Riley Stevens.
“They’ve been huge starting in the offseason in the weight room. We know summer workout aren’t mandatory, but they highly encourage the girls to get in the weight room. Being able to average 30 girls in the weight room over the summer two days a week is huge for the program,” Young said.
