A signature victory
The Mustangs edge Arapahoe with a come-from-behind victory, their first over the Warriors since 2013 as they move to 9-1-1.
For confidence, it couldn’t have been much better.
But it was so much more, Mullen head coach Matthew Guglielmo said after his team’s 3-2 home victory on Thursday against always good Arapahoe in Centennial League play.
Actually, he said, it was better “from every standpoint, every standpoint, every standpoint.”
The victory, Mullen’s first against Arapahoe since 2013, was the Mustangs’ best of 2019.
“Yeah,” the coach said, “our best win before might have been our tie (with Cherry Creek), but this is better.”
It lifted Mullen, which will later go into the Class 4A playoffs, to 9-1-1 overall, 4-1-1 in the 5A league.
“We have a shot at the league title, but we’re not worried about it,” Guglielmo said.
The Mustangs also dealt with adversity, trailing twice; stood up to an annually contending program; showed some versatility and firepower by scoring the winning goal off an assist by their goalie; and undoubtedly sent a message to the rest of 4A.
Arapahoe led 1-0 and 2-1 as Mullen’s only answer in the first half came on a goal by Kaylah Wanna, her team-leading 17th.
However, Zoey Polzin, who assisted on Wanna’s score, tied it in the 69th minute with her third goal of the season and a few minutes later keeper Emma Ryan let loose with a long boot that Jaime DeBerardinis corralled near the penalty-kick line and rifled it into the goal for Mullen to take the lead.
“It was a punt,” Guglielmo said of Ryan’s play. “She gets an assist because she kicks it a long, long way. We felt (the Warriors’) defense had been misreading balls. We talked about it, then we put it behind the goalie. It was clinical.”
Mullen’s defense, ball movement and passing held up, and the Mustangs won their fifth consecutive match after losing 3-2 to Cherokee Trail, and just their second match of the past 11 against the Warriors (10-3-1, 3-2-1).
DeBerardinis, who played for the Mustangs as a freshman and sophomore, didn’t play as a junior, but returned this season, said,. “ because she was with an academy, said of her goal, “it was off the free kick and a ran into it.
“I think this kind of shows that we can beat anybody no matter how big the school or how good the players are. If we work together and progressing, we can definitely beat anybody.”
DeBerardinis, who will play next year for St. Louis, said she returned to Mullen soccer “because I just like playing for the school … and it’s a lot less stressful.”
The Mustangs will take on Jefferson County’s Dakota Ridge on Friday in nonleague, 7 p.m., at Lakewood Memorial Field to complete a four-match week. They will have three more next week to wrap up the regular season.
“We need to get our nutrition and our rest, and we’ll be ready,” Guglielmo said.
MULLEN 3, ARAPAHOE 2
Arapahoe 2 0 -- 2
Mullen 1 2 -- 3
Mulen goals – Kaylah Wanna, Zoe Polzin, Jaime DeBerardinis.
Mullen assists – Polzin, Emma Ryan.
Mullen saves – Ryan 5.
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