“She has everything a coach would want,” said Roland Minder, citing confidence and maturity that is respected by teammates and coaches.
She got her first taste of varsity soccer as a substitute forward on the 2012 team that placed third in the state tournament. The past two seasons, Minder has been a Greater St. Helens League first-team defender for Camas teams that had 30 wins, six losses and three ties and won league titles.
Growing up, Mason Minder kept busy with basketball, volleyball, softball, cheerleading and dance. But the nonstop nature of a soccer game fit her personality. “I can get my anger out, and you can’t do that in dance.”
She said this with a smile, but it explains the intensity Mason Minder brings to the field. Roland Minder cites her tenacity and courage as ingredients that make Mason Minder a strong defender.
Mason Minder recalls breaking her pinkie finger the first time she practiced a slide tackle. But that didn’t stop her from using a slide tackle during a match at Harmony Sports Complex to halt an opposing scoring chance. She won that first slide tackle in competition, erasing a chance for a rival of her Washington Timbers club.
“I love going in on hard tackles and slide tackles,” she said. “And I love being the voice of the team.”
That voice is often delivering jokes and isn’t shy about bantering with her coach. They might not be directly related — Roland Minder said they probably share common relatives four or five generations back in the Oberaargau region of the Kanton Bern in Switzerland — but defender and coach share the same competitive drive.
“She enjoys the physical part of the game, and is tough as nails,” the coach said. “She’ll play through adversity.”
Tony Minder, Mason’s father, played quarterback at Camas High School. She said her dad isn’t a big soccer fan. “He calls us foot fairies.”
Mason doesn’t watch much soccer, either. She just plays it, though she did follow the Women’s World Cup over the summer.
Clearly, Mason Minder is more about action. She is honored to be a team captain this season, and takes that role seriously. Part of being a captain is making sure the Papermakers are mentally prepared to play.
“I’m not that serious, but I try to put on a good act before a game,” she said with a chuckle. “I can get real serious when I need to. My teammates know when to take me seriously and when not to.”
A year ago, Camas won the Class 4A Greater St. Helens League title but missed the state tournament after losing consecutive district playoff matches. That disappointment is a motivating factor this season, she said.
But for Mason Minder, the measure of success this season isn’t about how it ends.
“It will be a success,” she said, “if everyone plays their heart out and leaves it all on the field.”
Girls soccer storylines for 2015
Returning talent: Among the returning players for local teams are six players who were selected to The Columbian’s all-region girls soccer team last season are back this season. They are Katie Anthony (Columbia River), Anyssa DeVera (Camas), Mason Minder (Camas), Taryn Ries (Ridgefield), Alex Sanders (Union) and Rylee Seekins (Hockinson).
One all-region player not participating in high school soccer this season is Lauren Rood. The Camas senior is one of the goalkeepers in the U.S. Women’s National Team under-20 player pool and chose not to play for the Papermakers because of those commitments. She has verbally committed to play soccer for Stanford.
League overviews:
- Camas has won or shared the league title in each of its first three seasons in the 4A GSHL, and has won five consecutive league titles overall. The Papermakers again figure to be challenged by Skyview and Union, the teams that last season beat Camas in district playoffs and represented the league in the state tournament. Skyview opened league play with a 3-0 win over Union. Mountain View, with nine returning starters, hopes to challenge for a top-3 spot.
- In the 3A GSHL, Columbia River is shooting for a fifth consecutive trip to the Class 3A state tournament. The Chieftains graduated 14 players from the team that placed third at state a season ago, but have a tradition of success under coach Filomon Afenegus and talented forward Ellie Walker to lead the attack.
- Hockinson and Ridgefield were the class of the 2A GSHL last season. Ridgefield placed third in the state tournament and Hockinson was beaten 3-2 in the state quarterfinals by eventual champion Squalicum. Ridgefield beat Hockinson three times last season, all highly-competitive matches. The teams are scheduled to play on Oct. 6 at Hockinson and on Oct. 27 at Ridgefield.
- In the 1A Trico League, King’s Way Christian is shooting to return to state with a roster that still has many underclassmen. La Center is the defending league champion, and along with King’s Way and Seton Catholic has started the season strong.
