PENSACOLA, Fla. - The Webster men's soccer tuned up for the 2018 season here Tuesday morning by posting a 3-1 win over Pensacola Christian College in an exhibition match held at Eagle Field on the PCC campus. 

The Gorloks, who were tabbed to win the St. Louis Intercollegiate Athletic Conference title in this year's Preseason Coaches' Poll, outshot the Eagles, 20-8, including holding a 13-5 edge in shots on goal in the match that was divided into three 30-minute periods.

Webster, who began preseason practice for the 2018 season with a 7 a.m. workout on Saturday morning, before boarding the bus and making the 11 hour drive to Pensacola, scored the first goal of the match just seven minutes into the opening period as sophomore midfielder/forward Joacquin Soto (Flagstaff, Ariz./Flagstaff) connected on a shot from deep to give the Gorloks a 1-0 lead. 

The Eagles, who claimed the 2017 NCCAA National Championship with a 2-1 win over Trinity Baptist College, would tie the score with nine minutes remaining in the second period as Ben Hatcher scored off a pass from Nick Standridge to tie the match at 1-all. 

Webster, though, would put the game away by scoring two goals in a span of nine minutes in the third period to take a 3-1 lead. The first goal of the period came in the 66th minute and it was scored by freshman defender Henok Moges (St. Louis, Mo./Parkway North) and the second goal of the period occurred in the 75th minute and was scored by sophomore forward Matt Ceriotti (St. Louis, Mo./St. Louis University High).  

"I thought we came out and played well today. We had several more opportunities to score more goals, but a few of our shots hit the post and cross bar," Webster head coach Mike Siener said. "Additionally, we were able to get everyone a chance to play, including all of our goalies and that was important with the season right upon us."

In the 83rd minute of the final period, PCC was poised to pull within a goal, but Webster's defense stepped up as freshman goalkeeper Matt Coffey (Eureka, Mo./Eureka) made a lunging save on a penalty shot by Paul Stewart to keep PCC off the scoreboard. Stewart would then have another chance a little later in the final period for a goal, but his shot sailed wide of the goal to keep the score 3-1 in Webster's favor.

All 30 of the players that made the trip to Pensacola played in Tuesday's exhibition match, including all four of the team's goalkeepers.

The Gorloks will now turn their attention to the 2018 regular season as they open up the regular season next Friday, Aug. 31 with a 7 p.m. non-conference match in Monmouth, Ill., against Monmouth College. Following the match at Monmouth, the Gorloks will remain on the road as they travel to Morris, Minn., for a 12 p.m. match on Sunday, Sept. 2 at the University of Minnesota-Morris. Webster's first home match of the 2018 season is scheduled for Thursday, Sept. 6 as the Gorloks host Harris-Stowe State University in a 7 p.m. match at World Wide Technology Soccer Park in Fenton.