In just her second soccer match of her high school career, Columbus North freshman Jena Lang accomplished something in Thursday’s girls soccer match against Heritage Christian that many players don’t experience in their entire high school careers.
Lang completed a first hat trick in route to helping the Bull Dogs get their second win in the first week of the season with a 5-0 victory against the Eagles.
“I wasn’t really expecting it,” Lang said. “We played really well, I thought. I thought that we could score more (after the first goal), and we needed to score more in order to shut the team down.”
Lang’s first goal came in the ninth minute. That was followed by a goal from Tanner Johnson off a Baleigh Drum assist in the 19th minute for a 2-0 lead.
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Lang scored two of the three second-half goals in the 43rd and 50th minutes. Lang wasn’t the only freshman Bull Dog to punch one in, either. KJ Ely pushed the lead to 5-0 by scoring in the 71st minute.
“(Jenna) is a really good player, and she’s showing up to the games and playing really well for us,” North coach Derek Stewart said.
The Bull Dogs (2-0) kept the pressure on Eagles goalkeeper Chase Crawford all night with 18 total shot attempts and nine shots on goal. Crawford racked up four saves in the process.
North won the possession battle by keeping the ball on Heritage Christian’s side of the field for much of the game. The Eagles did manage to get one shot on goal, and North goalkeeper Kaylyn Bates recorded a save.
The Bull Dogs have started the season on a high note, and Stewart said he is very excited about the young talent he has on the field this year.
“We’ve got four freshman we’ve got out on the field and all contributing at the varsity level very early in the season,” Stewart said. “So that’s fantastic, and we’re really happy with them.”
