Avery Baker
Just call them the Cardiac Bull Dogs.
For the second time in as many games, Columbus North went right down to the final horn before pulling off a dramatic girls soccer victory. This time, the winning goal came with 2 seconds remaining, giving the Bull Dogs a dramatic 2-1 Conference Indiana victory over Bloomington North on Monday.
“It’s been pretty stressful, but I think that because we just never give up, we always keep going because we want it that bad,” said freshman Avery Baker, who scored the game-winner. “We want to win so bad that we just find a way to come back.”
Grace Merritt
Fellow freshman Grace Merritt, who assisted Page Mora on the game-winning goal with 13 seconds left in Saturday’s 1-0 win against Greenfield-Central, again was the catalyst. This time, she played the ball forward in the box to Baker, who put it past Cougar goalkeeper Harper Layden.
“None of our team gave up,” Merritt said. “Avery was in the perfect position for me to give her the ball. I was really proud of all our team because we still wanted the ball back, and luckily, we got a last-minute goal again.”
“Me and Grace have played together since we started playing soccer, so we have that connection,” Baker added. “It was a really good placed ball, and I’m glad I could finish it.”
Anna Donica
Following a scoreless first half, Columbus North (4-4-2, 2-1) got on the board in the 54th minute when Anna Donica scored off a cross from Baker. Bloomington North tied it in the 73rd minute on a penalty kick from Isabelle Himebaugh after a Cougar was tripped in the box.
The Bull Dogs dominated possession and finished with a 17-6 shot advantage. Columbus North put eight shots on goal to six for Bloomington North. Paige Terry recorded five saves for the Bull Dogs.
“I think if it would have ended in a tie, it would have been kind of unjust,” Columbus North coach David Young said. “The story was 2-1, and that’s a proper result.”
The win was the third in a row for the Bull Dogs and allowed them to remain in the Conference Indiana title chase.
“I told the girls if this is the story that we’re writing, it’s probably going to have one heck of an ending,” Young said. “It’s fun. A young team, the girls are starting to believe. It’s a fun team to coach, young girls that love the game and love each other, and you’re seeing that in the final results the last couple of games.”
