Following a 3-0 win in the regular season opener against Missouri Baptist University's junior varsity, STLCC head men's soccer coach Tim Mosby characterized the team's next game, against Jefferson College, as a 'benchmark game.'
After posting a 3-1 win over the Archers' long-time nemesis on Thursday afternoon, it's fair to say Mosby is pleased with where his program is two games into this season. With legendary Florissant Valley head coach Pete Sorber on hand, the Archers put on a performance that had Mosby placing the win in a historical context.
"I'll say it now, that's the biggest win in St. Louis Community College (Archers) history," Mosby said. "There are some really good things happening with St. Louis Community College soccer right now."
The Archers fell behind in the 18th minute, and took that 1-0 deficit into the second half, though STLCC received a pair of spectacular saves by goaltender Nicklaus Bertich to keep the Archers within striking distance.
That led to a dominant second half for STLCC. Freshman forward Charlie Maddison netted the equalizer in the 58th minute, and the Archers never trailed Jefferson the rest of the way.
Dillon Smith beat the Jefferson goaltender one-on-one just 10 minutes later, giving the Archers their first lead. It was the second goal in as many games for Smith. After fending off a furious Jefferson rally, freshman defender Casey Bartlett-Scott registered his first collegiate goal on a header to seal off a win against a team that entered the week just outside the top 20 in the first NJCAA national poll of the season.
"This is just a really big win for this program," Mosby said. "They've beaten us up for years, and we definitely caught them off-guard today.
Mosby, who has looked for key turning points in the program since taking over last year, offered the possibility that the word on STLCC is getting out, leading to further success recruiting.
"You would hope people catch wind of what is going on here at St. Louis Community College," Mosby said. "When players look at Jefferson College, or they look at St. Charles, they can take a longer look at St. Louis Community College soccer."