Class 3A No. 13 Columbus North got itself the early lead, but 3A No. 11 Homestead didn’t let it become a cakewalk.
The Spartans had several chances at scoring a goal, controlling much of the possession, but the Bull Dog defense didn’t break. The North front line awarded the defensive effort late in the second half to secure an insurance goal and pick up a 2-0 shutout.
“We’ve been preaching all season about working as a family, as a team, as a unit and supporting one another. Today was one of those days where everybody had everybody’s back,” North coach David Young said. “Homestead out-possessed us, but at the end of the day, it is the number on the scoreboard that matters. We got a couple opportunities, they outshot us by a couple, we got our chance and put a couple balls into the back of the net.”
The Bull Dogs (8-1) didn’t waste much time getting on the board. In the fourth minute, Lauryn Whitley took a couple dribbles and made a perfect pass to an open Jenna Lang on the right side of the goal box. Lang cashed in on the opportunity when her boot on the ball went to the far post and hit the net to put the North ahead 1-0. That score would hold heading into the break.
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In the early stages of the second half, Homestead was really putting the pressure on the Bull Dogs, and it looked like it was a matter of time before a breakthrough goal was going to happen.
North keeper Mallory Gilley and her defensive line ahead of her made numerous saves to preserve the shutout.
The Bull Dogs eventually got the insurance goal in the 69th minute when Lang got the ball in the backfield and made a perfect pass upfield to an open Lauren Barker, who outran the entire Spartan defense to the ball, and her shot hit the net for the 2-0 lead, which would be the final score.
“Coming into the second half, we knew that we were going to be under a lot of pressure because Homestead is known to not let up, even after they’ve been scored on,” Lang said. “Getting that second goal really put us ahead and kind of gave us more confidence going through the game.”
North finished with five shots, with four on goal. Gilley recorded six saves.
“Kudos to our backline and our keeper. They were all phenomenal today,” Young said.
