CAMAS — The Skyview girls soccer team seized its opportunity on Tuesday.
The Storm were the more assertive team during the Class 4A District 4 championship match at Doc Harris Stadium. They were also the more accurate team when it came time to break a 1-1 tie after 90 minutes of soccer.
With freshman goalkeeper Katie Isaac making two saves, Skyview outscored league champion Camas 4-2 in the tiebreaker for a 2-1 victory that earns the Storm the No. 1 seed from District 4 into the state playoffs. Skyview will host a first-round state playoff game next week at Kiggins Bowl.
Camas, which was unbeaten before Tuesday, now will play a winner-to-state match against Union at 7 p.m. Thursday at Doc Harris Stadium for the No. 2 seed to state. Union eliminated Battle Ground on Tuesday.
The district title match was the third this season between Camas and Skyview. The teams tied 1-1 on Sept. 25 and Camas won 1-0 on Oct. 21.
Skyview, the second-place team in the league, demonstrated throughout the match that it was excited for its third shot at unbeaten Camas.
“I think we had a lot more belief in ourselves that we could do it,” Skyview senior Sydnee Smith said. “I’m not saying we didn’t believe in ourselves before, but we had a little bit more fire under us, a little more urgency to get things done.”
Smith got the Storm the lead in the 50th minute with a rocket from 22 yards that skimmed the underside of the crossbar. It was only the third goal scored against Camas this season — and the first scored on goalkeeper Lauren Rood.
“I turned, saw a little space at the top of the 18, took a touch and thought ‘Why not just take a shot and see what happens,'” Smith said. “I knew my teammates would be following it up and I was lucky enough to find the back of the net.”
Camas scored the tying goal with less than two minutes left in the 80 regulation minutes. Anyssa DeVera made a run from the left wing and finished a cross from the right sent by Sarah Yang. It was the same combination that produced the tying goal for Camas the first time it played Skyview.
But losing the lead didn’t phase the Storm, who continued to carry the play and created the only two real scoring chances during the 10 overtime minutes.
“Winning the balls out of the air and denying them the ball was the plan,” said Skyview defensive midfielder Riley Gray, whose assertive play helped keep Camas out of scoring range throughout the match. “We played the ball on the ground, worked together as a team. We were really aggressive and it felt good to win.”
Camas coach Roland Minder said his team will need to find the same fire on Thursday against Union that Skyview brought to Tuesday’s match.
“They came after it,” Minder said of the Storm. “They played like they had an opportunity and they took it.”
Union 3, Battle Ground 0 — Chloe Brusseau scored a first-half goal, and Alex Sanders buried two free kicks late in the match as the Titans eliminated the Tigers. Union had a second first-half goal called back, but prevailed to earn a shot at state on Thursday. Camas won both matches against Union during league play, once by 1-0 and once by 2-0.
