Mustangs respond, end 2-game slide

By Neil H. Devlin, Mullen Sports Information Director
Simons, Cashman score twice in 7-0 win over CA.
 
He hadn’t scored all season and his team hadn’t found the back of the net over its past six periods.

So there was a bit of relief on Tuesday, when Mullen’s Larry Simons scored 32 seconds into its nonconference game against Colorado Academy at the University of Denver’s Joy Burns Arena.

It led to a much-needed 7-0 victory for the Mustangs, who had suffered back-to-back shutout losses the past weekend and were outshot by a veritable bunch.

“I was open in the slot and my line mates found me,” Simons, a junior, said. “It was a big monkey off my back.”

It was pushed off the Mustangs’ back, too, as they ended a two-game losing streak and advanced to 3-7.

“It was, it was absolutely,” Mullen head coach Devon Brady said. “It was a get-right game for us, so to speak.”

However, it took a while after the first goal as Brady noted the Mustangs reverted back to some old ways, notably not enough puck movement and too many players attempting to go end-to-end. It turned around with a five-goal barrage in the second period as they took command of Colorado Academy (1-7) and enjoyed fine goaltending by Alex Covi, who had 27 saves for Mullen’s first shutout victory since Dec. 7.

Offensively, Simons added a second goal; Aidan Cashman had two; Zack Banko, Riley Watters and Robby Witwer each had one. Nick Gilbert recorded four of the team’s nine assists.

Brady said his Mustangs realize this week will need to end in three victories, the next two at The Edge ice Arena – Mullen will meet Columbine on Friday, Jan. 17, and Chatfield, Saturday, Jan. 18.

Both games will begin at 8:30 p.m. and both are in the Highlands Conference.

“I think we’re getting in our groove now, we’re going back to The Edge, our home crowd … today was pretty good,” Simons said. “We stepped up our game, I think.”
 
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