Fenton, MO – The men's soccer team traveled to Worldwide Technology Soccer Park to play the Webster Gorloks in the quarterfinals of the SLIAC playoffs on Tuesday evening. Webster entered as the top seed in the tournament with a record of 7-1-1. With a conference record of 2-7, Principia entered as the eighth seed. Snow fell during the day but let up by game time with little to no accumulation. Temperatures were in the low-40's with wind chill in the mid-30's, a significant change in climate for April 20
th. Interesting fact: the record low temperature in St. Louis was set 10 days before the 1904 World Fair, at 32 degrees.
A Look at the Game – For the first 20 minutes of the game, Principia held a strong defensive block and kept the Gorloks away from goal. 15 minutes into the game, Webster sent a corner kick to the far post and
Elias Simpson made an excellent save at the near post to keep the game level. In the 27
th minute, Noah Abraham passed a ball through the back line to Mark Moore who finished from close range. Webster would score twice more in the first half, in the 34
th minute (Noah Abraham) and 37
th minute (Justin Kohler). The second half was similar to the first half, but Principia began to press and get out of their shell, putting Webster on their heels for moments of the game and creating some quality chances. However, as the Panthers opened up, they left spaces open that Webster exploited. Webster scored four more times in the second half, bringing the final score to 7-0. Goals were scored by Justin Kohler in the 58
th in minute, Carlos Llamas in the 59
th, Matt Huster in the 79
th, and Colby Kapp in the 82
nd. Principia continued to work hard the entire match, tracking back defensively and pressing Webster to create turnovers. After 90 minutes,
The men's soccer team was grateful to have the opportunity to play this year. They worked hard to adapt to a year of college soccer that was very different than a "normal" year. In the face of adversity, they stepped up to the challenge and played with courage. This was an odd year for college soccer and the men's soccer team was able to grow as a young team, gaining experience that will build a strong foundation for future years.
Good to Know
Coach Quote
"We never stopped working and we stuck to the game plan. That is who we have been as a team and we've stayed together through everything. We have a great foundation to build on for next season. I'm proud of the guys and how they responded to adversity this year." -
Jess Semnacher
Box Score: https://websterathletics.com/sports/mens-soccer/stats/2020-2021/principia-college/boxscore/10836
