CAMAS — One more goal from Maddie Kemp is just what the Camas girls soccer team needed on Saturday.
On the heels of a record-breaking season from Kemp, Camas advanced to the Class 4A state semifinals after defeating Woodinville 1-0 Saturday at Doc Harris Stadium.
Camas will face Skyline of Sammamish in the 4A semifinal at 6 p.m. Friday at Sparks Stadium in Puyallup.
Kemp scored in the ninth minute to lift the team past an opponent that gave the Papermakers’ offense fits at times.
“They put us under a lot more pressure than we’re used to and totally took us out of our game,” Camas coach Roland Minder said.
In the fourth minute, Camas goalkeeper Julie Coombs made a diving save and corralled the ball to keep the score knotted at 0-0.
“I just have to keep the ball out of the back of the net, that’s all I’m thinking about,” Coombs said of her approach.
Minutes later, Kemp’s header gave the Papermakers the lead.
“It always feels good to get the first goal in a really important game,” Kemp said. “It builds up momentum, but it’s also scary to know that the game is so close.
The momentum started to swing late in the second half. Woodinville’s Emily Falla hit the crossbar and Nicole Lenart had multiple shots on goal. Although the Papermakers seemed panicked, Coombs held the shutout intact.
With Camas attempting to extend the lead, Kemp’s breakaway was poked away in the 56th minute and Alyssa Tomasini’s header hit the post in the 73rd.
With a roster flush with seniors, Kemp, the team’s leading goal scorer as a sophomore, fits in seamlessly with the veteran squad.
“We all play so well together and Maddie fits right in,” Coombs said. “She’s the one that always finishes our hard work, and it’s really great to have someone that we can count on to score.”
Kemp said: “It’s nice to look up to people that I’ve known since I was little. It makes it a lot easier to have a connection with people that I can look up and lead the team.”
Now, with a chance to advance to the state championship, Minder knows the team needs to return to the basics to be successful.
“We have to get back to the way we want to play,” he said. “Play to feet, control the game, move off the ball and get some goals in.”
