Etienne’s hat trick helps No. 5 Iowa Mennonite School sail past Columbus in season opener

KALONA - Louis Etienne is taking nothing for granted in his senior season of soccer at Iowa Mennonite School.

Even though IMS made it to the state tournament for the first time in the spring last season, Etienne was not satisfied. Even though IMS set a school record for wins with an 18-2 record, Etienne was not satisfied. Even though he led IMS in goals scored last season, Etienne was not satisfied. Even though IMS is ranked fifth in a preseason poll, Etienne was not satisfied.

He spent last summer working on his game, trying to improve it in any way he could.

That extra effort and determination paid off Tuesday in Kalona when he notched a hat trick during IMS' first match of the 2019 season, a 4-0 home win over Southeast Iowa Super Conference foe Columbus/Winfield Mt. Union.

'They are a good team,” Columbus coach Luis Cacho said. 'We paid the price. We want the boys to have fun and we did not have fun our first two games.” Columbus lost 4-1 to Mt. Pleasant Monday.

Jacob Boller scored the other goal for IMS.

'It felt great,” Etienne said of the victory. 'I am really looking forward to this season. I have been working hard over the summer just for this. I am glad I get the chance to do this.”

It took less than 7 minutes for him to get the season started on the right foot.

Toby Chen sent the ball in from the left side and Etienne took control.

'On the first goal, I was looking to cross it in, but nobody was open so I thought I was quick enough just to get there and beat the goalie to a spot and that is how it happened,” he said.

IMS coach Marcus Miller was happy to see that goal after numerous other opportunities did not produce a score.

'Getting the first goal, especially the first goal of the season, it just helps you settle down and relax,” Miller said. 'We had some chances earlier where the ball knocked around and it didn't go in. I don't understand how we didn't score then, but getting that first goal settles things down and helps us relax.”

Less than 3 minutes later, Etienne assisted on Boller's goal, a kick he lofted just high enough to clear the leaping goaltender, but soft enough to come down inside the cross bar and find the back of the net.

'With the speed we have it creates a lot of opportunities for us,” Miller said. 'It is great to have a kid like Louis up top with the speed he has. I think they had two or three guys on him at different times and that opens up other people, but we did not take advantage of that. I am glad I don't have to play against him.”

The score remained 2-0 at intermission.

'We wanted to play more direct,” Cacho said. 'We just wanted to hang in there, but we did not pay attention to details. Defensively speaking, we were not very strong.”

With less than 8 minutes elapsed in the second half, Etienne hustled to run down a ball on the right side and sent it into the far left corner of the net.

'It happened to come near me and I took the shot and it went in,” he said. 'It was not the plan (to go into the high corner). I guess it was God's plan, but not mine. I did not plan it like that, it just happened.”

The third goal was more of 'just happened.”

With under 30 minutes remaining, Etienne found a loose ball in the box and blasted it in for his third goal and a 4-0 lead.

'I just happened to be in the right place at the right time,” Etienne said.

While it may have just happened, it was also the product of design, of having learned and watched more accomplished players and how they react to certain situations.

'Louis has worked hard and he watched a lot of video over the summer,” Miller said. 'He spent time watching Premier League games and higher levels of competition and focused on what the forwards did. He especially would watch the runs they made and I thought that paid off for him tonight.”

Blake Bontrager did not allow a goal and made a couple of spectacular saves.

'Blake is an excellent goalie and I feel really comfortable with him back there,” Miller said. 'He can be a little scary sometimes when he comes out to play the ball, but that's part of what makes him good. Kobe (Borntrager) and Eli (Ours) did a good job as our central defenders. Noah Miller is a kid who had a solid game for us. I was pleased with our defense and the midfield did well, but we have a lot to work on. I was happy.”

While Etienne and the defense were bright spots, the coach of a team ranked fifth can not be satisfied.

'We had guys doing a lot of extra running,” Miller said. 'I don't know if that was because of it being our first game. Our guys in the center need to trust the wing defenders so they don't wear themselves out. Spacing is something we will talk about and possession because we had some bad touches. We haven't had a chance to do a lot of shooting drills, so we will work on that.”

The ranking can also be a double-edged sword, good for recognition and favorable seedings in the postseason, but it also puts a target on the team.

'I would like to say the rankings don't mean a whole lot, but when the state comes out with the substate and the groupings, it does make a difference,” Miller said. 'I tell the kids that teams are going to come after them, so we have to be prepared. High rankings come with a price. The way the state sets up the state tournament, you have to pay attention to those.”

IMS plays host to Highland Thursday.

Columbus plays at Burlington Notre Dame, which is ranked 13th.

'We made mistakes,” Cacho said. 'We just need to get better. We have to fix the mistakes that we are making.”