Freshman Amanda Hiebert has found a home with Coe women’s soccer

CEDAR RAPIDS — It takes a lot of dots to connect Sunnyvale, Calif., to Cedar Rapids.

For Coe College freshman Amanda Hiebert, the road was inspired by family.

'My dad and uncle both attended Coe College, as did my mom, which is how they met,' said Hiebert, who posted a goal and an assist in the first half of a 4-2 victory for the Kohawks over Mount Mercy in a non-conference women's soccer match Wednesday night at the Robert W. Plaster Athletic Complex. 'My uncle is really the one that pushed me, because my dad passed when I was 10. … My uncle loves the college and he wants people to understand how amazing Coe is.'

Even with such strong family ties to the school, it took Hiebert — who helped Fremont High School win a pair of league soccer titles in Sunnyvale — a lot of time and a lot of thought to settle on Coe. It was a personal touch that made the school stand out.

'I never thought that I would end up here,' Hiebert said with a laugh. 'I was always like, 'I am never going to look there. I am never going to go.' But honestly, the Coe campus is just one of the most inviting places and the academic staff is always willing to help you. They were the only ones to reach out to me.'

While all but a few distant cousins in her family remain in Iowa, Hiebert has made an impactful debut as a forward for the Kohawks. She opened the scoring Wednesday night with a goal in the 17th minute, then assisted on another 11 minutes later.

Hiebert leads Coe (4-1) with four goals this season.

'She reads the game real well,' third-year Coe Coach Michael Prunty said. 'She is just natural as a goal scorer. As an attacking player, having the ability to play ahead of the defenders and see the game at a faster pace. She has the individual technical qualities to score special goals and create those moments.'

Another Coe freshman, Katelyn Evans, scored her first collegiate goal with a second-half header.

Former Iowa City High prep Sydney Schroder posted a goal and a pair of assists for the Kohawks, while Cedar Rapids Kennedy graduate Morgan Petsche was the beneficiary of Hiebert's first-half assist with her third goal in five matches.

Seniors Melany Roggow and Carly Walker each scored goals for Mount Mercy (1-4).

Women's soccer

AT ROBERT W. PLASTER ATHLETIC COMPLEX

Coe 4, Mount Mercy 2

Goals — C: Amanda Hiebert (4), Morgan Petsche (3), Sydney Schroder (2), Kately Evans (1); MM: Melany Roggow (1), Carly Walker (2). Assists — C: Sydney Schroder 2 (4), Morgan Petsche (2), Amanda Hiebert (1); MM:

Holli Jones 2 (2).

Comments: douglas.miles@thegazette.com