Beginning its quest for a 'three-peat', the Webster University men's soccer team opens play on August 29 at the St. Louis Soccer Park as it hosts Rhodes College (TN).  The Gorloks finished 8-1 in the St. Louis Intercollegiate Athletic Conference in 2013, tying Westminster and Fontbonne Colleges for the title, and 14-4-3 overall.  It was a second straight title for Webster, as it won the SLIAC outright with a 6-1-1 record in 2012.

Webster was picked second in the SLIAC coaches preseason poll for 2014, being nosed out by Westminster.  The Gorloks had 73 points and three first place votes, while the Blue Jays had 78 points and seven first-place nods.  Webster lost the 2013 SLIAC Tournament championship, 2-1, to Westminster in Fulton, MO. 

The men's soccer program is consistently one of the top in the St. Louis Intercollegiate Athletic Conference.  Over the past eight seasons, the Gorloks have rolled up a 51-15-7 record in the SLIAC, finishing first four times and advancing to the NCAA Championships three times.  The Gorloks ranked as high as fifth in the region in 2013 and finished with the top winning percentage in the Midwest Region against Division III opponents.

Michael Siener will be entering his second season as head coach and is upbeat about his current roster. "We will have 15 seniors this year and some very talented other returnees and newcomers to add to that mix as well.  Our depth should be an asset this season and I look for us to compete again for the conference title and in the region."

This year's schedule will once again be a very challenging one.  The Gorloks play Wartburg College (17-5-2), ranked 16th in the final d3soccer.com poll for 2013.  Also on the slate are traditionally competitive squads Washington University (10-4-3), Illinois Wesleyan University (9-8-2), and Edgewood College (WI).

Edgewood finished 11-7-3, advancing to the championship game of the North Athletic Collegiate Conference Tournament.  Also on the schedule is Millsaps College (MS), who finished 12-6-2 and set a record for wins in a season while finishing first in the Southern Athletic Conference.

The Gorloks will play in the Sal Vaccaro Tournament, hosted by North Central College (IL), on Sept. 14-15.  Webster faces Grinnell College (IA) in the first round and could potentially face Penn State-Behrend in the tournament final.  Behrend finished 16-4-1 in 2013, winning the Allegheny Mountain Athletic Conference championship and advancing to the NCAA III Tournament.

Webster University plays home contests and practices at one of the finest soccer facilities in the Midwest.  The St. Louis Soccer Park features two turf fields and video scoreboard, along with updated locker and training rooms.  "Our program is very lucky to have such an amazing first class facility for our student athletes to train and play.  It is truly one of the best I have seen and I hope our fans continue to come out and show their support" says coach Siener.

The contest vs. Rhodes on August 29 is at 7:00 p.m. and the Gorloks will host Edgewood the following night, August 30, at 7:00 p.m. as well.