Doherty stays unbeaten
Mustangs fall 4-1.
LITTLETON – Thursday’s 4-1 matinee loss to visiting Doherty by Mullen at The Edge was a bit confounding and in multiple ways.
In dropping to 6-3 overall with the nonconference setback, the Mustangs had chances early, but couldn’t convert.
Colorado Springs’ Doherty, now 9-0-2, had about a 4-minute stretch to open the second period that produced three unanswered goals to practically settle the game.
Mustangs goalie Connor Mahon turned in another solid performance that included stopping two breakaways, but his coach said the fourth goal that got past him probably was one that he’d like to have back.
And both teams seem to be still looking for that big victory over a quality opponent.
“We didn’t get much puck luck tonight,” Mustangs head coach Devon Brady said. “I thought our energy level was good and our competitive level was pretty good. We outplayed them the first period, but we have to figure out our power play. It’s not working, almost a liability.”
Mullen was 0-of-7 with extra player(s) advantages, but spent the majority of that time chasing down cleared pucks or struggling to get out of its own zone.
Outshooting the Spartans 9-8 over the first 17 minutes, Mullen still trailed 1-0 as a rebound opportunity was finished, but the opening shifts of the middle period made it an uphill climb. Doherty scored at 0:28, 2:27 and 3:49 of the second, quick enough to stun the Mustangs.
“We played bad hockey four about 4 minutes of the second period,” Brady said. “It’s 51 minutes, not 47. You have to play 51.”
Mullen got on the board at 10:23 of the second as Larry Simons finished an an odd-man rush and scramble out front set up by Riley Watters, but that was it. The Mustangs managed only 11 shots over the final 34 minutes (Doherty had 25). They flirted with a couple of chances, including when they had a 5-on-3 advantage, but they didn’t get another one past Spartans goalie Eric Bucholz. And twice Mullen shot at open nets on severe side-angle shots.
“All things considered, if we bury another one … it’s a 4-2 game and we’re in it,” Brady said.
The Mustangs lines also had to be juggled as forward Ashton Smaldone had an allergic reaction in the early part of the game, another Mustang was injured and still another out sick, but Brady said “we have to figure out a way to overcome that.”
Other Mustangs issues included failure to regularly carry the puck and receive passes – “Our hands were not good,” Brady said – and their defense was unusually inconsistent.
“We should have buried a couple early (for goals) and we stopped playing for a few minutes and it cost us,” Brady said.
However, there is little time to sulk. It was the first of three games over three days. Mullen heads to the mountains to visit Summit on Friday, 6:30 p.m., and Steamboat Springs on Saturday, 4:30 p.m.
“It’s a business trip for us and we need to get two wins,” the coach said. “Two wins on the road is possible and it’s what we need.”
DOHERTY 4, MULLEN 1
Doherty 1 3 0 -- 4
Mullen 0 1 0 -- 1
Mullen Scoring
Second Period – Larry Simons (Riley Watters), 10:28.
Saves – Hunter Mahon, 29.
Power Plays – Mullen 0-for-7, Doherty 0-for-2.
Penalties – Mullen 3-for-6 minutes; Doherty 7-for-14.
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