IMS cruises for third straight win

Despite not having played in over a week, the Iowa Mennonite boys? soccer team certainly looked as if  it hadn?t missed a step on Tuesday afternoon at home.

IMS hosted Wapello in a Southeast Iowa Super Conference matchup, and controlled much of the game, using a hat trick by senior Danny Lam to pull off a 5-1 victory for its third straight win.

?We had a week off from games, and this gets us back in the flow for our home tournament,? IMS senior Kirby Shetler said. ?This helps us get our confidence back since we haven?t played in so long. This is a very good win for us.?

Shetler added a goal and an assist in the match, as both he and Lam helped lead the offensive charge for IMS.

?Everyone (stepped up),? Lam said. ?Kirby made some nice passes, Kobi (Russom) had some nice saves. We are working hard up here and it gives (the attackers) some safety in the back knowing he?s there.?

The win moves IMS to 3-1 on the season, and marked its third straight win, as they prepare for a home tournament on Saturday.

?We are really young,? Iowa Mennonite head coach Marcus Miller said. ?Tonight I started three freshmen, two or three sophomores and a senior that hasn?t played a whole lot, so it?s a chance to build some confidence. I think they get tired of practicing against each other, and Wapello made us work.?

The work got started early as four minutes in, Lam connected on his first goal of the match to give IMS a 1-0 advantage.

Despite a number of opportunities, IMS was held out of the back of the net for the next 20 minutes, but Jacob Schmieder broke the scoreless streak, making it 2-0.

Ten minutes after that, IMS earned a corner kick, and Shetler took a direct approach on his kick, bending the ball around the post, and into the back of the net, making it 3-0 going into halftime.

?I looked in and saw the keeper was playing up, and thought he couldn?t get to it, so I went for it,? Shetler said. ?I did it a couple of times last year, so I was going for that goal.?

In the second half, a goal from Wapello that managed to slip away from IMS goalie Kobi Russom, who finished the game with five saves, went in to cut IMS? deficit to two.

?(Kobi) is the kind of kid where in previous years, where he always liked to jump in goal, but he was helping us on the field,? Miller said. ?This year he sprained his ankle, so he couldn?t run and we aren?t deep enough, so we put him there and he had 20 saves against Highland. He?s very athletic and quick and he likes being there.?

After Wapello?s goal, IMS came charging down the field as Shetler drove deep into the attacking zone in the 57th minute. After Wapello?s goalie came out to challenge Shetler?s potential shot attempt, the IMS senior dropped off a pass to Lam who was waiting in front of the net for his second goal of the game.

?I knew (Kirby) was going to pass it to me,? Lam said. ?We have that kind of thing going on, and I shot it well.?

Lam?s hat trick came in the next minute as he broke away and beat Wapello?s goalie for the 5-1 lead that would hold until the final whistle.

?We want to just keep winning,? Lam said. ?It?s a good feeling. We need to improve our finish, our defensive line and our opportunities to score.?

IMS finished the game with 14 shots on goal, as they prepare for a home tournament with Fort Madison, Fairfield and West Liberty on Saturday, and the team is hoping to prove it can play with anyone.

?I think we can,? Shetler said. ?We are getting better every single day and it shows in games. We?ve gotten so much better and I think we can compete with any team in the state.?

IMS will open up the tournament against Fairfield at 10 a.m., and will play either Fort Madison or West Liberty in the third-place game or championship game.