PUYALLUP — A near-perfect team ended its season in the perfect way – a state championship.
A near-perfect defense had the perfect finale — another shutout.
And Sabine Postma added a goal that was as close to perfect as you’ll see in high school soccer.
Camas beat West Valley of Yakima 3-0 on Saturday to capture the Class 4A state championship.
When the players hoisted the state championship trophy in unison and belted out the school fight song, it was a perfect cap to a season with few blemishes.
“Just the love they have for each other and how they support one another,” said coach Roland Minder, who also led Camas to the state title in 2005. “I don’t think I’ve seen a closer group than this one.”
Camas (22-0-1) allowed just two goals all season while scoring 88.
Another shutout? That’s just how the Papermakers roll.
“Our coach always says that our forwards win games but our defense wins championships,” senior defender Sarah Davidson said. “We wanted to make sure we came out on top this year.”
Thirty-one goals came from sophomore Maddie Kemp, so it was fitting that she gave Camas a 1-0 lead just seven minutes into the match.
But it was the second Camas goal midway through the second half that had even West Valley coach John Schubert tipping his cap. Postma launched a laser-like shot from 30 yards into the top-left corner of the net.
Camas added its third goal with six minutes to play on another impressive shot by Morgan Winston from 25 yards.
“We were outmatched, obviously.,” Schubert said. “Those second and third goals, amazing shots. Just rockets. At that point, you tip your hat and say ‘you know, they’re better than us.’”
Postma, a senior midfielder, had never scored a goal from 30 yards in any match. Heck, she doesn’t even shoot from that far in practice.
But teammates had been encouraging Postma to shoot more. So when Davidson tapped a free kick toward her, she took a chance.
“I wasn’t ready for it,” Postma said. “Sarah played the ball to me and I was like ‘oh my God, I need to put it in.’ I took a touch, hit it as hard and I could and it went right where it was supposed to go. It was really beautiful.”
Minder, who has seen plenty of goals in more than 20 years of high school coaching, also put Postma’s goal in the “beautiful” category.
“That’s what you call creativity,” he said. “That’s part of the beauty of this game. It’s a player’s game. You’re allowed the freedom to create things.”
Aesthetics aside, the goal was also the decisive blow in a match where West Valley created a few dangerous moments despite Camas holding most of the possession.
“We were looking for that second goal for a long time,” Minder said. “I never feel comfortable up just 1-0. But when the second one went in, it felt like this was going to be it.”
Camas beat West Valley 1-0 on Sept. 10 in Yakima on a late goal by Kemp. Since then, West Valley (18-2-0) had won 17 consecutive matches, outscoring its opponents 64-8.
With a combined seven appearances since 2009, neither Camas nor West Valley are strangers to the state final four. West Valley has reached the state semifinals four of the past five years, including a runner-up finish last year.
But Saturday belonged to Camas, a team that so perfectly blended a stout defense and a fiery offense, with team chemistry as the catalyst. Even when senior captain Hannah Taie had her season ended by injury in the quarterfinals, Camas didn’t miss a beat.
“We wanted to do this for Hannah, since she couldn’t do it,” Kemp said. “But besides that, this season has been perfect.”
CAMAS 3, WEST VALLEY 0
Camas
Goals (assists) – Maddie Kemp (Perrin Belzer), Sabine Postma (Sarah Davidson), Morgan Winston (unassisted).
Goalkeeper saves – Julia Coombs 4.
West Valley
Goalkeeper saves – Jada Stevenson 13.
Halftime 1-0.
