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St. Louis gave head soccer coach Jason Oertling a milestone win with its best performance of the season in a 5-0 nondistrict win over Menard Tuesday night.

The victory was the 600th in Oertling’s 26-year career, all at the school. Oertling said this year’s team is typical of what has made his tenure so successful.

“This is a special group,” Oertling said. “They want to please you as a coach; they want to please each other.

“This was our best performance of the year. We have played a lot of great competition and have not been able to put everything together all at once. This game, every thing we have worked on all season long came together. They know it is that time of the season with the playoffs coming up.”

Christopher Zarech scored a pair of first-half goals to lead the Saints (17-3-4), who scored three goals in the final 7 minutes of the half to take a 4-0. Luke Schwartzenburg and Matthew Dufrene also scored. Michael Hill headed home a corner kick from Ivan Appleton, who had two assists, for the lone goal of the second half.

Oertling said the players’ attitude keeps coaching fun.

“I’m still enjoying it,” he said. “I know I have been around for a very long time, I started young. These kids, they are so fun to work with. It is enjoyable when you have kids who work like they do. I guess am getting old, but it helps keep me younger than I really am.

“I know it is a personal accomplishment, but to me the 600 wins represents the fact that I have been around a group of kids that have been able to get 600 wins. I don’t look at it as a personal accomplishment as much as an honor that I have been around the kids the whole time. I have said all yearlong how special the program is, boys and girls. This may be a coaching accomplishment, but I feel so fortunate to be around a group of kids like this.”

Alex Darbonne and Clay Gaskin combined to make four saves for the Saints.

Menard fell to 6-7-1.

St. Louis 5, Menard 0