Camas topples Olympia for 4A girls district soccer title. Bears hope for rematch at state
Emma Hays, with her Olympia team waiting their turn, watched from the bleachers as Camas slipped past Puyallup in a district semifinal on Tuesday night.
If the stars aligned, the Bears would face Camas next. And they did.
The team watched film to strategize, and knew what exactly they were up against, Olympia coach Tamara Liska said. But after Camas pounced on the Bears to lock up a 3-1 win and West Central District 3/4 4A title on Thursday night, there are plans to sit down and watch film again.
Their film.
“It was gonna be tough, but I think we stuck with it,” Hays said after Olympia’s loss. “And we never stopped trying, and we worked really hard. And we know coming out of it, what we need to work on now.”
Olympia’s season began slower than they would have liked. They dropped their first game to Stadium, and lost three of their first five. They turned on the jets as the finish line approached, grabbing nine of their last ten games before losing Thursday.
And Camas’ latest win marked the 18th win in what has been a perfect season for the Papermakers. They’ve allowed only seven goals — one of them to Olympia — and haven’t allowed more than one goal in any game.
As the technically-away team under their own lights at Ingersoll Stadium, Olympia spent the first two minutes challenging the Papermaker defense. By minute three, the script had flipped.
Madeline Johnson quickly found the back of the net with a goal that gave Camas an early 1-0 lead. It came after a corner kick, one that dropped to Johnson’s feet on a silver platter.
In the ten or so minutes that followed, the ball returned to midfield like it always does after a score, but quickly returned to the vicinity of Olympia’s goal.
“We were a little slow… coming out,” Olympia midfielder Lyv Heistand said. “I think when we get to these more important games and at state, we need to come out really hard, first whistle.”
It wasn’t long before Camas capitalized again.
By the 11th minute, the Papermakers had doubled their lead. Lily Loughney punched in the second goal of the game after a scrum near the net. Olympia needed a response soon, and a potential rout lingered.
“(That) helps set the tone for sure,” Camas coach Keri Tomasetti said. “It’s also difficult, because you’re now trying to hold on (to a lead) when you know you have a team that’s going to come out with a lot of heart against you.”
The Bears were held scoreless in the first half, and put little pressure on Camas keeper Keely Wieczorek. But Olympia’s defense stepped up. At the break, the deficit was only two. There would be no rout, at least not yet.
It was very much a game.
“They had such grit and heart, and they just kept fighting,” Liska said. “And at the end of the day, they left everything out there and that’s all we can ask.”
Olympia’s sole look at a first-half score came off the foot of senior Katelyn Rigg, but missed inches high of the crossbar.
“I don’t think I would have taken it if I didn’t think it had a chance,” Rigg said. “Some don’t fall, but that’s all right.”
The district-title-hungry Bears improved in the second half, but never closed a two-score gap. In the 57th minute, Olympia’s Claudia Wilson dove to save a Camas goal, but Bella Burns punched in a second-effort shot. It was a 3-0 deficit, and the Bears’ hopes dimmed.
Seconds later, Rigg took a shot, and didn’t miss. An immediate response brought the Bears’ deficit back to a pair.
“It just opened up when it did,” Rigg said. “But I hate losing. I wanted to get one back.”
The scoring would end there, but only with the help of Wilson as Olympia’s keeper. She dove to make stops on the edges. She forced shots wide, and caught a handful of one-on-one breakaway plays.
Did she feel busy?
“Not really,” Wilson said nonchalantly. “I’ve had busier games. I’m just happy to dive.”
“When she makes a big save like that, it really gives us momentum to move forward,” Hays added. “It gets us excited to score, but also gives us an opportunity to counterattack because she’s able to get up and get the ball out.
“It helps us tremendously.”
Even if Olympia’s district-tournament run ended Thursday, their run at state begins now. If the stars align for a second time and Camas ends up on their schedule, they’ll be ready, Liska said. Sometimes, when you fall, you get up a bit harder, faster, and stronger, she added.
“No more losing,” Rigg said with a laugh. “I think that’s what we’re gonna take away. Our first game at state is next week, so we’re not planning on doing any more losing this season.”
This story was originally published November 4, 2021 at 9:46 PM.