CAMAS — Goalkeeper Brian Murray and the Camas defense stood tall for 80 minutes on Wednesday at Doc Harris Stadium.
In the first minute of overtime, the Tahoma Bears found a way to do something few others could this season. And just like that the Papermakers boys soccer season was over.
Spencer Grant scored 45 seconds into sudden-death overtime to lift the visitors from Covington to a 1-0 win in the first round of the Class 4A boys soccer state tournament. The result sends the Bears to the state quarterfinals against Inglemoor.
It was only the fifth goal scored against Camas in 18 matches this season. The Papermakers finished 16-1-1.
“It doesn’t make you feel any better when it ends at this stage,” Camas coach Roland Minder said.
The play started with Tahoma winning possession in midfield, then switching play from left to right. Logan Wood, the Bears top scorer with 19 goals and 13 assists this season, drew a pair of Camas defenders and was able to send a pass through to Grant who was open 8 yards from goal.
Murray had made a big save on a similar opportunity late in the second half, but this time Grant struck the ball hard inside the near post.
“I’m a goalie. I have to make the saves I have to make,” Murray said. “I should have saved the last one. I was just half a step slow to my right side. He just barely slipped it in. Another inch and I would have got it.”
No one else was blaming Murray, who made three saves but was in control of his penalty area throught a busy match.
“There’s no way you can put that on Brian. He’s been great all year,” Camas midfielder Bennett Lehner said. “That first save (late in the second half) was spectacular.”
Tahoma coach Jason Johnson agreed, saying “They’re fantastic defensively. We couldn’t break them down. We had chances, but their goalkeeper was fantastic tonight.”
Lehner had several chances, including a shot from 10 yards that was cleared from the goalmouth by a Tahoma defender in the 36th minute. Another high-quality chance was turned away by Tahoma goalkeeper Scott Leathley, who stopped a close-range header from Danny Wing in the 65th minute.
Camas thought it had the lead in the 19th minute when it put home the ball after Leathley mishandled a long throw-in from Lucas Ulmer. But a foul was called against the Papermakers.
“It just ended up the wrong way. Can’t do anything about that,” Ulmer said of the referee’s decision.
Tahoma, coming off its first loss this season in the district playoffs, controlled the ball more than Camas. That was the Bears’ plan.
“A lot of times I felt like we were keeping it just neutrally. We weren’t doing much with it,” Johnson said. “To play an amazing Camas team — we’re just happy to be able to pull out a win.”
Minder said wanted his team to possess the ball more than it did, and to pressure the Bears midfield more than the Papermakers were able to.
“We had more chances. They had possession. And we didn’t capitalize on our chances,” Minder said.
Lehner said the missed opportunity on Wednesday won’t define the season.
“League and district champs. Nothing to hang our heads about,” the junior team captain said. “That’s soccer. Two good teams — it can go either way.”
