'Stangs edge Indians
Postseason is next.
“It was so cool,” Emerson Johnson said.
It was. Her goal in the second overtime on Wednesday night was a fitting cap and in more ways than one.
To wit:
--- Johnson’s score on an 8-yard penalty shot was the difference in a 10-9 victory for Mullen over visiting Cheyenne Mountain in nonleague to top the regular season at 10-5.
--- With six goals in the game, Johnson also sealed her spot as the team’s leading scorer. She has 53.
--- It was the Mustangs’ seventh consecutive victory. They had sealed at least second place in the Centennial League (at 6-1) on Tuesday with a 17-3 decision of Eaglecrest, but Wednesday’s victory also secured a playoff berth. They were 15th in RPI qualifying entering the match. Twenty advance to the postseason.
“It was really intense,” said Emerson, a senior who scored her goals on just seven shots. “We just wanted to come out with the win.”
Mullen second-year head coach Melynda Brown admitted afterward that it was an interesting finish to the regular season as well as the match as the Indians, now 7-7 and 21st in RPI before the match, somehow scored with 11.7 seconds to play in the second half to crawl within 9-8, then levelled it at 9 on a goal at the buzzer.
“We let our emotions get away and we have to learn from our mistakes,” Brown said.
But she also heaped praise on Johnson, keeper Izzy Cisneros, .Haley Vanek, Molly Gilbert and a sticky defense.
“We just have to take better care of the ball on attack,” she said.
The Mustangs were, however, patient on the attack late, using nearly the entire first extra session of 3 minutes until sudden death. And when Johnson got her attempt in the second OT, she was fully aware of what was at stake.
“I mean, our word of the day was poise,” she said, “keep calm, take a breath … it was the most pressure I’ve ever had, so, yeah, I would say so (that
it was the best goal she ever scored).”
Grace Archibald, Elise Bialecki, Megan Fenwick and Gilbert added goals for Mullen. Vanek had two assists and Bialecki one.
All remaining regular-season matches are to be completed by Saturday and the postseason bracket is to be released on Sunday.
MULLEN 10, CHEYENNE MOUNTAIN 9, 2 OT
Cheyenne Mountain 3 6 0 0 -- 9
Mullen 4 5 0 1 -- 10
Mullen goals -- Emerson Johnson 6, Grace Archibald, Elise Bialecki, Megan Fenwick, Molly Gilbert.
Mullen assists – Haley Vanek 2, Bialecki.
Mullen saves – Izzy Cisneros 8.
© 2020 Mullen High School. All Rights Reserved.