MONMOUTH, Ill. – Webster University opened its 35th season of men's soccer here Friday evening by scoring the game's lone goal just 12 seconds before halftime and then turned the game over to its defense the rest of the way as the Gorloks earned a 1-0 victory over Monmouth University at Peacock Park.
The season opening win was the first for the Gorloks since picking up a 2-1 win in double overtime in Bloomington, Ill., over Millikin University to begin the 2013 season, Webster had lost its last its last four season openers prior to Friday's victory.
In Friday's match, freshman forward Aamahn Murvin (Sahuarita, Ariz./Walden Grove) took a pass from junior midfielder Juan Garcia (St. Charles, Mo./Duchesne) and found the goal at 44:48 on the clock.
Murvin's goal would prove to be the only score of the game as Webster turned to its defense the remainder of the match as they held Monmouth to just a total of four shots on the night with just one of those shots coming after halftime.
While the Scots had just four shots for the match, Webster's offense recorded 15 shots, including 13 shots on goal in the victory. On the night, five Gorloks recorded at least two shots, including a match-high three shots from sophomore midfielder Ryan Gonzalez (Sugar Land, Texas/Clements).
The other Gorloks to record two shots against the Scots were sophomore Murvin, midfielder David Allred (St. Louis, Mo./Bishop DuBourg), freshman midfielder Cody Ruhl (St. Louis, Mo./Mehlville) and junior defender Chris Clay (Quincy, Ill./Millikin).
Monmouth goalkeeper Cadan Glattback had a busy night for the Scots as he finished with 12 saves and allowed just the one goal in 90 minutes of action. Glattback had eight of his 12 saves in the second half.
Not to be outdone by Glattback, but Webster sophomore goalkeeper Matt Amick (St. Louis, Mo./Lindbergh) played even better in the net as he finished with just one save in 90 minutes of action in recording his third career shutout and Webster's first shutout in a season opener since posting a 2-0 shutout win over Lindenwood-Belleville to open the 2012 season. Amick is now 6-0-2 in his career as Webster's goalkeeper.
Amick's only save of the game came on a diving play in the front of the net to thwart a goal by Monmouth's Lucas Sondgeroth in the 26th minutes of the match. Sondgeroth had two of his team's four shots in the loss.
Most of the first half was play around the midfield mark as Webster had only four shots over the final 25 minutes of the opening period and three of those shots came in a span of two-plus minutes between the 20th and 23rd minutes of the match.
The match featured four yellow cards, including three by the Scots.
For the match, Webster played 26 of its 32 players on its roster, including nine players recording 50 or more minutes of action.
Webster will look to win its second consecutive match as they wrap up its two-match road swing to open the season with a 12 p.m. match on Sunday, Sept. 2 in Morris, Minn., against the University of Minnesota-Morris.
