Paige Cook is an ASU student assigned to cover Campo Verde by AZPreps365.

One and done. One loss and you are out of the race for a championship.

That’s coach Drew Guarneri message to his Campo Verde soccer team. He said the biggest challenge of the playoffs is “making kids understand that this is the playoffs, every team is good.

“We have to perform, and the girls get that. If you lose, that’s it, you’re done.”

Campo Verde, which finished the season second place in the division with a record of 13-1, opens in its bid for a title Wednesday at home against Willow Canyon.

“We’ve played high quality opponents in regular season, but for the playoffs, seeds and standings do not matter,” Guarneri said. 

Senior Paige Morris said that the girls want to repeat their victory from two years ago. “That’s our goal again this year.”

Guarneri knows what contributes to a win.

“It’s a combination of tactical things, some luck, some mentality, physical fitness, and technicality. The biggest thing is to believe in yourself, your teammates, and the system.”

Communication. That’s what junior Lexi Kreipke said one thing the team needs to focus on.

“We need to remember the times we didn’t [communicate] and how it impacted our game.”

Morris agreed. “We need to focus on what’s at hand and be vocal about it.”

Guarneri reminded the girls that winning isn’t everything.

“I make sure to remind them that win or lose, they’ll be the same person the next day. This one game doesn’t define who they are as a person.”

Kreipke, who finished the season second in points and goals in the division, said this isn’t a “one-man show, working for ourselves.” It’s a team effort, where players “need to work together.”

Kreipke knows she is one of the better players in the league, but she said her stats “don’t define my game at all so try to keep it out of my head when playing.

“My teammates look up to me so when it’s one of my best games, it lifts up the team.”

How will the girls prepare for the biggest games of the season? “The team needs to be focused and prepared,” Guarneri said.

Kreipke echoed this. “We need to be in the right mindset.”

The girls need to “make the game enjoyable, at the end of the day it's a game,” Guarneri said.