ST. LOUIS, Mo. — After compiling a national record 910 career high school wins, Terry Michler secretly was pulling for a different outcome Thursday night when Christian Brothers College (Mo.) met Pingry School (N.J.) and longtime coach Miller Bugliari.

“A 0-0 tie would have been just fine with me,” he said.

Instead, it was Christian Brothers’ counter attacking offense that proved to be too much for the visitors as CBC rallied for a 3-1 win in a contest between coaching legends, highlighting the first day of action at the Gateway City Soccer Classic.

Michler’s 911 career wins ranks first all time among high school soccer coaches, and Bugliari stands second at 820. Between them, they have coached 100 seasons of high school soccer—Michler 44 at CBC and Bugliari 56 at Pingry.

The significance of this first-ever meeting between Michler and Bugliari was not lost on the players.

"We wanted to win this for our coach, to show he’s the best,” said junior Sam Leach, who was involved in the game-winning goal and scored the clincher in the closing minutes of the 3-1 victory. The result improved SIMA FAB 50-ranked CBC to 15-3 while Pingry is 6-2.

Before the match, Michler and Bugliari met at midfield at CBC’s stadium, the first time these coaching legends had ever had a chance to interact. They talked about the weather, the trip and the cool, crisp fall evening in St. Louis. Bugliari called Michler a coaching legend, and Michler countered, “If I’m a legend, you’re an institution.” Michler and CBC presented Bugliari with a few gifts, including CBC team scarves. “We had a great time. We talked about the fact that it’s great to see two older guys getting together,” Bugliari said. “I appreciate his team and his hospitality.”

MORE: 2015 Gateway Soccer Classic Coverage

Then it was back to business.

Pingry played a more technical style of soccer. The team knocked the ball around, held most of the possession and created several dangerous chances early in the match.

CBC keeper John Huber made one key save to keep the match scoreless, but that changed with Notre Dame-bound Jack Casey ripped a shot from 30 yards that caught Huber off guard and bounced into the goal.

“We had guys who looked like they had stage fright,” Michler said. “They weren’t ready to play the big game tonight.”

CBC got a break when it was awarded a penalty kick after the Pingry keeper came out of net to challenge for a cross with CBC’s Nick Dempster. Indiana commit A.J. Palazzolo converted the penalty to even the game at 1-1 midway through the first half.

“That PK was not a PK,” Bugliari said. “That kills you in a game like this.”

That goal seemed to energize CBC.

CBC strung together a solid passing sequence that ended with E.J. Verhulst one-touching a pass from Dempster into the net for a 2-1 lead 56 seconds into the second half. Leach capped the scoring with 5:30 left, sliding a shot into the right side of the goal.

In other highlighted matches Thursday:

Chaminade (Mo.) 1, Rockhurst Jesuit 1: A.J. Anthon scored in the 70th minute to pull Chaminade even in a draw with Rockhurst in what was a meeting of the state’s preseason No. 1 and 2-ranked teams. A.J. Ruark gave Rockhurst a 1-0 first-half lead, drilling a shot from distance.

Peoria Notre Dame (Ill.) 2, Webster Groves (Mo.) 0: T.J. Rea scored on a free kick from 20 yards out with eight minutes left, then assisted a goal by Aidan Hill just two minutes later as PND pulled away for a late victory.

St. Thomas Aquinas (Kan.) 2, Rock Bridge (Mo.) 1: Lucas Bartlett scored both goals, the first a follow-up of his own shot, the second a penalty kick, as St. Thomas Aquinas won 2-1. Rock Bridge’s lone goal came from 50 yards on when a shot by Jonah Lage caught Aquinas’ back-up keeper off guard and skipped into the net.

Other Gateway Thursday contests:

Group A

Springfield Glendale (Ill.) 2, Denver East (Colo.) 1

Group B

Washburn Rural (Kan.) 3, Springfield Kickapoo (Ill.) 1

Cherry Creek (Colo.) 2, Vianney (Mo.) 1 (OT)

Quincy (Ill.) 2, St. James Academy (Kan.) 0

Group D

Jefferson City (Mo.) 3, Granite City (Ill.) 0

Marquette (Mo.) 3, Archbishop O'Hara (Mo.) 1

Northwest Cedar Hill 2, Liberty (Mo.) 1

Rockwood Summit (Mo.) 9, Rockton Hononegah (Ill.) 1

Group E

Belleville West (Ill.) 1, Kirkwood (Mo.) 0

Mehlville (Mo.) 4, Springfield Catholic (Mo.) 0

Perryville (Mo.) 2, Belleville East (Ill.) 0

Raymore-Peciluar (Mo.) 3, Parkway Central 1