FENTON, Mo. - Webster University opened up St. Louis Intercollegiate Athletic Conference play here Saturday afternoon by posting a hard-fought 2-0 shutout victory against MacMurray College at World Wide Technology Soccer Park.
The shutout was Webster's ninth of the season and improved the Gorloks overall record to 9-2-0 overall and 1-0-0 in the SLIAC. MacMurray fell to 1-8-1 overall and 0-1-0 in the league.
In addition to winning its ninth match, the victory also extended Webster's win streak to 10 consecutive matches dating to the 2016 season as they went 7-0-2 in league play last year and ended the 2016 by winning its final two league matches.
The Gorloks, who held possession most a majority of Saturday's contest, got on the scoreboard in the 24th minute of the contest as sophomore midfielder
Joacquin Soto (Flagstaff, Ariz./Flagstaff) took a shot from about 24 yards out that found its way into the back of net to give WU a 1-0 lead. Soto's goal was his first of the season and third of his collegiate career.
That would be the only scoring in the first half as Webster held an 8-3 edge in shots and a 7-2 advantage in shots on goal in the opening 45 minutes.
In the 60th minute, freshman forward
Cody Ruhl (St. Louis, Mo./Mehlville) gave the Gorloks a 2-0 lead as he took a through ball from freshman midfielder
Justin Kohler (Waterloo, Ill./Waterloo) and connected on a shot from eight yards out for the second goal of the match.
From that point, the Gorloks turned the game over to its defense and freshman goalkeeper
Matt Coffey (Eureka, Mo./Eureka). After Ruhl's goal, the Highlanders had four chances in span of seven minutes to score, but two of those chances were blocked and the others shot by Alejandro Bueso in the 71st minute and Estrada Gerardo were saved by Coffey, who played all 90 minutes in net on Saturday.
In the 77th minute, senior forward
Tucker Hively (St. Louis, Mo./Priory) had a shot right near the goal, but MacMurray's Jacob Trim saved the shot. Trim would come through again for the Highlanders in the 80th minute as he saved a possible goal from freshman forward
Aamahn Murvin (Sahuarita, Ariz./Walden Grove).
Sophomore midfielder
Jacob Ridenhour (Jerseyville, Ill./Jerseyville) had a scoring chance thwarted in the 82nd minute and in the 84th minute, Ridenhour and freshman midfielder
Ben Appelbaum (St. Louis, Mo./Parkway South) had shots go wide right and high.
For the game, Webster recorded 24 shots and 13 shots on goal as Ruhl led the way with four shots. In addition to Ruhl, Hively, Ridenhour and Soto each had three shots, while Kohler, Murvin and senior defender
Juan Garcia (St. Charles, Mo./Duchesne) had two shots apiece in the win.
MacMurray was held to 10 shots, including two apiece from Bueso, Noah Pierce and Eric Martinez.
Coffey (2-0-0) earned the win in the net for the Gorloks as he recorded six saves in his 90 minutes of action.
Trim (0-2-0) had 11 saves and allowed two goals manning the net for the Highlanders.
Webster will look to remain perfect in league play this coming Wednesday, Oct. 3 as they travel to Fulton, Mo., for a 7 p.m. SLIAC match against Westminster (Mo.) College.
