As a fan of Manchester United, Mankato West senior Jacob Makela was overjoyed when the Premier League club signed his favorite player, Zlatan Ibrahimovic.
Makela praised Ibrahimovic for his strength while carrying the ball and his mental toughness when making plays, both traits that Makela has developed at Dakota Meadows field near his house.
“I’m not one to sit on the couch the whole day,” he said. “I’ll be out there shooting from different angles, trying to make myself a better soccer player.”
All that practice paid off Tuesday night against Chaska, as Makela converted both of his penalty-kick attempts and added another goal to shoulder the Scarlets' 3-2 comeback victory at Chaska Middle School West.
“(Makela’s) a good leader, has good nose for the goal and respects the other players,” Scarlets coach Leonard Woelfel said. “He just has a willingness to give everything he has.”
Ranked No. 10 in the Class 1A coaches’ poll, Mankato West (3-0) gave up the lead in the opening minutes of both halves, but Makela’s presence in the 6-yard box proved vital in a game that was physically unforgiving.
“It was a hard fought battle,” Woelfel said. “It’s one of those games that could have went either way."
Makela made sure it went the Scarlets' way in the second half.
He tracked the ball off a free kick and leaped trying to contest it as it arched toward the top corner of the net.
Hawks goalkeeper Jonathan Early fell after nearly colliding with Makela, forcing defender Sean O’Connell to try to keep the ball out of the net.
O’Connell’s last resort was to swat it with his hand and take the red card. Makela was awarded his second penalty kick and capitalized on the opportunity to clinch the game with 28 minutes remaining.
Tuesday night’s hat trick gives Makela 98 career goals, and with his final year of varsity soccer just kicking off, he could become the state’s all-time leader in goals and points if he continues to do what he has done the past five seasons.
“(The records) are in the back of my head, but you can’t let that stuff affect your game,” Makela said. “I don’t want to focus on all the goals. I just want to be a good team player and whatever happens, happens.”
Despite being a man down, Chaska relentlessly pressured the Mankato West net following the go-ahead goal, but the Scarlets are accustomed to defending under pressure.
“We like to defend for a while and rely on our counterattack," Makela said. We’re just waiting for them to make the mistake and when they do we pounce on it."
In final 10 minutes of play, Makela joined his teammates on defense, helping fend off a late frenzy as the Hawks (1-2) searched for an equalizer.
“He’s a cool customer, so to speak,” Woelfel said of Makela. “He understands the game. He’s out there directing and coaching more than I do on the field.”
Mankato West begins a four-game home stand, which could be key as the Scarlets seek to outdo their Big 9 Conference competition in pursuit of a league title that’ll also gain them leverage in the Class 1A, Section 2 seeding process.
The last time Mankato West won the Big 9 title was 2014, and the Scarlets rode the momentum to the state tournament, where they tied the Hawks for third place (Chaska moved up a class before the start of the next season). Makela compiled 37 goals that year, which is the fourth-best single-season performance in state history.
“I’ve been through a lot of experience, and I know what it’s like to be on the losing side and the winning side,” he said. “You have to stay positive and good things will always happen.”
