After weekend sweep, 3-1 on ice
Beat Castle View and Colorado Academy.
LITTLETON – Don’t look now, but … well … actually, go ahead and look. And take a good look.
Mullen ice hockey is above .500 for the first time since Dec. 2, 2014, when it downed Kent Denver 3-1 in the season opener. The Mustangs, now 3-1, also are a winning team for the first time in head coach Devon Brady’s tenure as his lead in a rebuilding process is beginning to pay dividends.
The Mustangs enjoyed a weekend sweep. On Friday, they rallied from a two-goal deficit to force overtime and win 3-2 over Castle View at Big Bear and on Saturday they popped first-year Colorado Academy 8-1 at the Edge.
Both were nonconference, both occurred differently and both are heartily welcomed.
“It’s awesome,” Brady said. “Again, we’re still not satisfied, it’s not good enough, but (Friday) night was huge for us. We just still need to get better.”
In a nutshell, here’s a 26-hour stretch for Mullen. The Mustangs fell behind after two periods to Castle View, but responded, an encouraging trait for a still-young team. However, Nick Gilbert brought the Mustangs within a goal and Utah Bryant tied it with 34 seconds remaining in regulation. Hunter Kear’s score in overtime won it.
The Mustangs were 2-1 and above the even line.
As for Saturday, it wasn’t much of a game. Despite starting slowly and having multiple players seeing significant action in an earlier junior-varsity game – Mullen is fielding a team on the lower level for the first time – the Mustangs didn’t get caught napping, led 3-1 after a period, 7-1 after two and cruised.
“Especially after last night,” Brady said, “if we would have done anything than how we played (Saturday), I would have bene stunned.”
Now, the Mustangs are getting to the point in which they expect to win.
“I think we have a lot to work on, but it’s always good to get a win like this,” sophomore Robby Witwer said on Saturday. “It’s huge for us.”
The Mustangs also have won three games in a row since the 2012-13 season.
“We’re a year older, a year more experienced and we learned last year that dropping one game can keep you out of the playoffs,” Witwer added.
Witwer scored Saturday’s first goal, his first of two. Ashton Smaldone also scored twice and Aidan Cashman, Larry Simons, Alex Hertlein and Bryant each had one. Regular goalie Connor Mahon won Friday’s game and Dominic Maurais earned Saturday’s victory between the pipes.
If there’s a particular area to keep an eye on, Brady said, it’s that seven of Saturday’s goals only had one assist and he would prefer more crisp puck movement as well as sharing.
Still, the early start is welcomed and could continue. The Mustangs will have one more game before the holiday break. They will take on host Palmer at Sertich Arena in Colorado Springs on Friday, Dec. 21, 3:30 p.m.
“If we could go into Christmas 4-1,” Witwer said, “that would be some energy.”
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