CAMAS — It took less than two minutes for Maddie Kemp to find the back of the net.
From that point, there was no stopping the Camas forward.
No game plan Prairie drew up could stop Kemp, who despite her coach’s initial wishes determined to notch the five goals needed to hit her career century mark.
She totaled six goals to serve as the fuel, the engine and the horse power to Camas’ 10-3 win over the Falcons on Tuesday night. All night at Doc Harris Stadium, Kemp was a goal-bound with the ball at her feet.
That much was clear from the opening kickoff.
“I was feeling very comfortable on the field,” Kemp said. “And I felt like the lineup we came out with was the strongest we’ve had all season, so I felt it was going to be a good night.”
The senior Gonzaga commit broke the school record for career goals scored — 81 — early last November. Her next remaining landmark would be hitting 100 goals.
Camas coach Roland Minder said it wasn’t a question of “if” Kemp would break 100 goals, but “when.”
Neither Kemp nor Minder thought that would happen Tuesday night. Sitting at 95, Minder indicated on Tuesday that, were Kemp to be on a scoring tear, he’d sub her out after three goals and focus on “team play.”
That was before Prairie linked together two goals within a five minute span in the first half — the first by senior Savannah Harshbarger and the second by Morgan Borwieck.
Plus, Kemp was feeling as good as she had all preseason with the ball at her feet. In nonleague losses to Jesuit (Ore.) and Puyallup, opposing defenses did enough to frustrate her out of her normal scoring ways.
Kemp had little problem finding space against Prairie.
“At times I felt a lot of pressure, but other times I felt super free so that was easier,” she said.
The Falcons pulled within one at 3-2, which gave Camas the sense of urgency to push in two goals in the final minute of the first half, to take a 5-2 lead at the break.
Still, Minder was miffed. He couldn’t remember a time when his team let in as many as 13 goals in its first six contests.
“He lit a fire under us at halftime so we wanted to get it back,” Kemp said.
Kemp proceeded to scored back-to-back goals in a five-minute span early in the second half. Prairie got one back — Harshbarger’s second goal of the night — but the Papermakers were off and running. As Harshbarger jogged back into position after scoring her first goal, Kemp, a club teammate, gave her a hi-five.
Kemp scored her 100th career goal on a rocket from the top of the box that went untouched by the Falcons keeper.
“I knew she was going to score, she always does, but you just have to be man-tight and hold her to as few shots as possible,” Harshbarger said.
Camas (3-2) still hopes to build chemistry after dropping two games in nonleague play. It returns first team all-league selections Jazzy Paulson, Justine Pauly, Carla Jooste and Jenna Efraimson, along with All-Region Player of the Year Kemp, to a team that made the state semifinals last season.
Meanwhile Prairie (0-3-2), which won the 3A Greater St. Helens League last season on its way to a fifth place finish at state, is still seeking its first win of the season.
After the game, Kemp posed for pictures on the field with the game ball, which Minder said would be hers once the season is over.
CAMAS 10, PRAIRIE 3
Prairie
Goals (assists) — Savannah Harshbarger, Morgan Borwieck, Savannah Harshbarger. Goalkeeper saves — Allie Corral 1, Samantha Nickel 1. Coach’s standout — Anna Neal.
Camas
Goals (assists) — Maddie Kemp (unassisted), Jazzy Paulson (Jennifer Connell), Paulson (Kemp), Kemp (Justine Pauly), Callie Rheaume (unassisted), Kemp (Rheaume), Kemp (unassisted), Liz Parker (Jenna Efraimson), Kemp (unassisted), Kemp (unassisted). Goalkeeper saves — Elaina DeMerritt 2, Isabella Gieszler 4.
Halftime – 5-2.
