FENTON, Mo. - Webster University used two first half goals and then held off a second half rally by fourth-seeded Westminster College here Saturday evening en route to earning a 2-1 win over the Blue Jays in the championship game of the 2020-21 St. Louis Intercollegiate Athletic Conference Men's Soccer Tournament at World Wide Technology Soccer Park.
With the victory, Webster picked up its fifth SLIAC tournament title in men's soccer and the program's first title since the 2012 season that featured current Gorlok assistant coaches Josh Sellmeyer and Brian Woodward as players and current head coach Mike Siener, who named this year's SLIAC Coach of the Year, was the associate head coach on that 2012 team. The five tournament titles are tied with Westminster for the most in the conference's history.
"I am really happy for our players and coaching staff. I can't say enough about much Coach Sellmeyer and Coach Woodward have put into this group and I'm just really proud of our coaches," said Siener, who improved to 90-47-15 as Webster's coach with Saturday's win. "The players this season were unbelievable. The effort and determination they played with each game was remarkable and it was truly just an unbelievable season and unbelievable young men to work with. I'm glad our guys got to accomplish all their goals this year.
Siener said that his team's success wouldn't have been possible without the support from everyone else from outside the program.
"I want to say thanks to all the parents, cheerleaders, fans and everyone else that helped us and played a role in our success this year," the Webster coach added.
Saturday's win helped Webster close the season with a 12-1-1 overall record, while Westminster concludes the year with an 8-5-1 overall record. In addition, Webster closed the season by winning eight consecutive matches with its only loss (1-0) coming in double overtime in its fourth match of the season at Spalding. The Gorloks also recorded a 0-0 tie in double overtime in its sixth match of the year at Iowa Wesleyan.
In fact, Webster never trailed at any point during the 2020-21 season as its only loss came on a golden goal in double overtime at Spalding. The Gorloks also closed the season allowing just five goals in 14 matches and recorded nine shutouts. The five goals are the fewest allowed in a season by the Gorloks in school history and the nine shutouts are the most in a season since the 2018 team recorded a school record 15 shutouts.
Westminster, who earned its spot in Saturday's title match a 1-0 double overtime win on Thursday at third-seeded Spalding, controlled the game early on as they took the first four shots of the game, but the momentum turned when freshman forward and super sub
Mark Moore (Hillsboro, Mo./Hillsboro) checked into the match late in the 18th minute.
Moore made his presence felt in the match just five minutes after checking in to the contest as he took a ball played by junior defender
Tanner Haugen (Jefferson City, Mo./Jefferson City) in the middle of the field and he put a shot from about 25 yards out that went into the upper right corner of the net in the 25th minute.
About four minutes after Moore's goal, he assisted on Webster's second goal in the 29th minute as he headed the ball down the middle of the field to junior forward
Aamahn Murvin (Sahuarita, Ariz./Walden Grove), who was streaking down the field and was able to get past a Blue Jay defender and scored from about 20 yards out into an open net to give Webster a 2-0 lead.
Moore, who was named the MVP of the SLIAC Tournament, finished the tournament with three goals and three assists for a total nine points. In fact, Moore had a hand in six of Webster's 10 total SLIAC Tournament goals. He closes his freshman campaign tied with Murvin for the team lead in points in 22 as he scored seven goals and had a team-best eight assists in 12 matches.
Despite holding a 2-0 lead at the half, Webster was outshot, 9-6 in the first half, but both teams put four shots on the goal in the opening 45 minutes of the contest.
For the match, Westminster held a 22-17 advantage in shots as they took 13 shots and put five of those shots on goal.
Murvin and Moore combined for 11 shots for the Gorloks as Murvin took six shots and put two shots on goal, while Moore had five shots and three shots on goal. Freshman midfielder
Matthew Cathro (Columbia, Mo./Rock Bridge) added three shots and earned a spot on the All-Tournament Team.
The Blue Jays, who were seeking its sixth all-time SLIAC Tournament title and is now 5-3 all-time in the tournament, got into the scoring column in the 49th minute as Patrick Wisnewski hit a one-timer off a pass from Barrett Smith. The goal by Wisnewski was his fifth of the season.
Saturday's match was a physical contest as it featured 26 fouls and a total of eight yellow cards, including five yellow cards by Westminster. The Blue Jays were whistled for 17 fouls and Webster committed nine fouls.
Junior goalkeeper
Matt Coffey (Eureka, Mo./Eureka) turned in another outstanding effort in goal for Webster as he finished with eight saves and allowed just that one goal by Wisnewski. Coffey, who was also named to the SLIAC All-Tournament Team, improved to 6-0-1 on the year.
Westminster goalkeeper Chase Vogt (5-5-1) had four saves and allowed two goals in the loss. The Blue Jays also had a team save on a ball that appeared headed for the goal in the 71st minute by Moore after Vogt was taken out of the net on the play.
Wisnewski and Aaron Guilliams each took four shots for the Blue Jays, while Joe Wilder had three shots and two shots on goal and Freddy Nene took two shots for Westminster.
The two teams each took six corner kicks in the match.
Joining Moore, Cathro and Coffey and Westminster's Wisnewski on the SLIAC All-Tournament Team were Webster freshman midfielder
Noah Abraham (Hazelwood, Mo./Hazelwood West), Westminster's Sam Heckart, Westminster's Luciano Zarinelli, Fontbonne's Trent Calvert and Ethan Cowell, and Spalding's Asher Benge and Cody Peace.
