Queen Creek goalie Olivia Kempf with one of her game-winning saves. (Andy Morales/AZPreps365.com)

 

There was a breakaway, a penalty kick and a last-second shot. Those were just three of the 11 saves recorded by Queen Creek sophomore Olivia Kempf, but they were the biggest. Each save was upgraded to the game-winning variety, allowing the 12th-seeded Bulldogs to outlast No. 5 Cienega 1-0 in the first round of the 5A state playoffs Tuesday night.

“I’m very happy. Very happy,” Kempf said. “On the first one, I heard my coach in my head telling me to come out and it worked.”

Dominating field position and collecting shots on goal is usually a recipe for success but only if there is a finish. The Bobcats outshot Queen Creek 22-9 and one of those was a breakaway in the 25th minute. Cienega forward Peyton Middleton took a pass from across the field and she found an almost open goal and Middleton let it fly but Kempf charged out and slid to her left. It was a good guess and she would rely on another guess in the second half.

A handball violation in the 46th minute gave the Bobcats the chance to breakthrough on the scoreboard but Kempf jumped to her left and deflected the penalty kick just enough to preserve a 0-0 tie.

“I think those are fun,” Kempf added. “I try to see where they are looking but it’s a guess.”

The save turned out to be the turning point in the game and Sophia Serna cashed in at the other end a couple minutes later to give the Bulldogs a 1-0 lead. Serna’s offering was just one of nine shots recorded by Queen Creek but one is all a team needs.

The Bobcats had one last chance but Kempf came up with one final save with three seconds left and the Bulldogs celebrated at midfield.

Queen Creek (17-4-1) will travel to No. 4 Arcadia in the quarterfinal round on Saturday but the Bobcats saw an exceptional season come to an end. Cienega (11-5-3) took second in the highly-competitive 5A Southern Region and moved up from 36th three years ago to a 5th-seed this year.

“My girls are passionate and they strive to get better,” head coach Amber Bender explained. “We have to make the most of our opportunities but I am really proud of the way they played.”