'Stangs respond, shut out Coronado

Having to play less than 13 hours after the puck dropped in its season opener and travelling to Colorado Springs to do it didn’t faze Mullen ice hockey.

The Mustangs took down host Coronado 3-0 in nonconference on Saturday at Sertich Ice Arena.

It came on the heels of a 4-2 loss to Columbine in the Highlands Conference in Littleton on Friday night.

Offensively, the Mustangs built a 2-0 lead in the first period on goals by Aidan Cashman and Ian MacDougall. Peter Osborne and Nick Gilbert had the assists.

Mullen made it 3-0 late in the third on an unassisted goal by Robby Witwer.

Maybe the biggest deal of the day was the goaltending of Alex Covi, who stopped 25 shots in his second start for the injured Connor Mahon. Covi, idle for a season, was eligible to come over from the DELTA school at George Washington in Denver.

Plus, the Mustangs had only five penalties, all minors, and their offense also picked it up, going for 33 shots, at least 10 in all three periods.

The schedule now turns interesting for the Mustangs before the holiday break with five games in 10 days, including three in a row at the end of the week. On Thursday, Dec. 12, Mullen will host Rampart at The Edge Ice Arena at 2:30 p.m. On Friday, the Mustangs will head to Colorado Springs to meet Doherty at 3:15 p.m. and Saturday’s game will be on the site of the old Lowry Air Force Base, at Big Bear Ice Arena, in conference against Denver East, 4:15 p.m.