Camas soccer rises above rivals

There would be no tie this time. Camas made sure of that.

The Papermaker girls soccer team shut down Union 2-0 Oct. 19, at McKenzie Stadium, to take one step closer to the 4A Greater St. Helens League championship.

“We played as a team and we played for each other. That was the main thing,” said senior center back and team captain Perri Belzer. “I told all the girls before, ‘We need to play our game and we need to play for each other, and that’s how we’re going to win.’ I think we did that, and got the points on the board.”

Maddie Kemp got Camas on the board with a goal, assisted by Carla Jooste, in the 22nd minute. The Papermakers played great defense, while the Titans continued to apply pressure. Camas keeper Falissitie DePasquale made a fantastic diving save on a free kick by Union with seven minutes left in the game.

“Honestly, I was scared. But, I did what I had to do and I saved it,” she said.

“Falissitie did an awesome job of just extending and saving that shot,” Belzer said. “We’re really lucky to have her back there. She made so many great saves, so we’re really proud of her.”

DePasquale blocked one more shot by Union after a scramble in front of the net. As pressure continued to mount in crunch time, Jazzy Paulson chipped the ball over a line of defenders and Kemp provided the insurance goal Camas needed to secure the victory.

“That was the one we needed,” Kemp said. “After the tie last time, it was good to come out and take the win. We knew they were going to come out hard against us. We have been preparing all week for a physical game.”

Camas has turned things around since that 1-1 tie with Union Oct. 3. Five different Papermakers scored goals in a shutout victory against Skyview. Camas also beat Heritage 8-0.

“We made some adjustments, and we’ve gone with those adjustments since then and they’ve been successful for us,” said head coach Roland Minder.

“It’s not over until the final whistle blows,” he added. “We can’t be slouching off now. It’s all about keeping the momentum going and finishing strong.”

Camas secured the league title with an 8-0 victory at Battle Ground Tuesday. Kemp delivered four goals and two assists.

The Papermakers play their final league game against Skyview tonight, at Doc Harris Stadium. Kickoff is at 7 p.m.

“We all want to play more soccer,” Belzer said. “We’re just going to take it game-by-game and get the result each time. Just keep playing for each other.”