‘Fiery Kam’ leads Mavs to third straight win

MOSES LAKE – On Saturday, the Mavericks (7-3-1) defeated the West Valley Rams 3-1 at Lions Field. Head coach Alysha Overland feels great about where the teams stand after their third straight win.   

“I'm excited. That was a great game. Every girl on the field did their job. I'm super excited with where the team's headed after today,” she said.   

The Mavericks came out aggressively to maintain control of the ball in the first half. Kamery Char, Lindsey Davis, Miciah Higley and Mikayla Sawyer brought consistent defensive pressure whenever West Valley had control of the ball. The Mavericks' imposing defense created an opening for Davis to make a run with the ball and net the first score of the game. Not long after, Davis took another shot on goal that hit the post, but Char was there for the cleanup and put the Mavs up 2-0.   

The Rams were fouled by the Mavs inside the box, which set them up for a penalty kick that cut the deficit to 2-1 heading into halftime. Overland said they remained encouraging during the break.   

“We just let them know that they're playing great. We have a whole other half to (go) into with a 0-0 mentality and win that half. They came out fighting. They came out wanting to win it, and I really think across the board, from offense to defense, everyone got their jobs done today,” Overland said.   

In the second half, both teams went back and forth for a bit until Char capitalized on a defensive mistake by the Rams and scored for a second time. The Mavs took a 3-1 lead that would ultimately be the final score as they won their third straight game.   

Overland said Char had a huge presence for them against West Valley. With her performance, she showed why Overland calls her "Fiery Kam."

“She really proved that — following up her own shots. She was a big part of the outcome today, not just because of the goals that she scored, but just the leadership that she brought out there when she was on the field,” Overland said.   

Alongside Char, Davis helped the Mavs on both sides of the ball. She was successful in multiple instances, wresting the ball away from West Valley. Overland said Davis and Char’s friendship off the field translates to their chemistry in the game.   

“Lindsey is always a strong one in the attack with us. She can almost dance on the ball when she's out there. She's got great footwork; she and Kam always find a way to see each other on the field. They just have that chemistry between them,” she said.   

The Mavs return to the field Oct. 21 when they travel to Wenatchee to face the Panthers at 7 p.m. With a few games left, Overland said she is confident they are poised to finish the season strong in the next couple of weeks.   

“I'm excited for where we're headed after this. I think the girls are mentally in the right place and physically in the right place, and just got to keep going now,” Overland said.   

BOX SCORE:   

MAVS: 2-1: 3  

WVLY: 1-0: 1   

    Kamery Char (16) and Mikayla Sawyer (9) apply defensive pressure to a West Valley player. Head Coach Alysha Overland said the Mavs did their jobs on both sides of the ball.
  

    Kamery Char (16) battles it out with a West Valley player on defense. Head Coach Alysha Overland said Char has a great presence and leadership on the field.
  

    Erin Ribellia (5) pursues the ball during their game against West Valley. Miciah Higley (3) calls out to her in the background.
  

    Ali Harshman (14) races a West Valley player to the ball on Saturday. The Mavs jumped out to a commanding 2-0 lead in the first half.
  

    Yvanna Lawton, left, celebrates with Kamery Char, right, after their third goal of the game. Char scored two of the Mavs’ three goals on Saturday.