A scary moment for the Columbus North occurred in the 24th minute when senior co-captain and top player Jenna Lang challenged for a ball and was injured on the play. Lang was helped back to the sidelines and was out for the rest of the game.
It completely changed the momentum of the game.
Class 3A No. 5 Bloomington South controlled the game the rest of the way following the Lang injury. The Panthers broke through in the 74th minute with a game-tying goal off of a corner kick, and that led to a 1-1 draw and allowed the 3A No. 8 Bull Dogs to clinch at least a share of the Conference Indiana championship.
“Overall in the first half, we definitely outplayed them. Second half, I think uncharacteristic to us, we kind of set in, but that was the mentality of what had happened in the first half with Jenna,” North coach David Young said. “We felt as a coaching staff we wanted to do, and we were inches away. Kudos to the girls who finished it. (Goalkeeper Mallory Gilley) came out, and it slipped through her hands and they finished it.”
Lang, who was in crutches, said after the game that she is scheduled to undergo an MRI sometime today.
Technically, the Bull Dogs (10-1-2, 4-0-1) can still win the outright title if Southport pulls off a shocking upset over the Panthers (14-0-1, 3-0-1) later this week.
North struck in the sixth minute when Lang dribbled down the right side and toward the center of the goalbox.
She sent a laser shot toward the goal, and Bloomington South keeper Arissa North couldn’t react in time, giving the Bull Dogs an early 1-0 lead.
“We watched a couple films of theirs and knew what they had as far as their attack. We felt comfortable with our defenders going into the game that we could be successful holding them to zero (goals) or one,” Young said. “We felt like there were some pieces in their back line that we could attack, and we were able to do that early and get the goal.”
A near-chance for a goal earlier in the second half for the Panthers came in the 58th minute when Gilley found herself one-on-one with one of the Panther forwards, but the shot hit the post, and the defense cleared the ball out of danger.
