Mustangs blanked by Denver East

 

LITTLETON – It wasn’t there.

Once again, Mullen, which was coming off a stretch in which it had won four of its previous five games, didn’t show up in earnest against a high-end foe. The Mustangs were blanked 6-0 by Denver East on Saturday night at The Edge Ice Arena in Highlands Conference play.

Mustangs head coach Devon Brady has seen it before throughout 2019-20.

“We didn’t play very well,” he said. “We struggle between the ears in terms of having confidence in ourselves. (Denver East) is a very good hockey team and it doesn’t make a lot of mistakes. It doesn’t blow your doors off offensively, but it doesn’t make a lot of mistakes.”

The Mustangs dipped to 5-10 overall, 2-7 in conference. The Angels are 12-3, 6-3.

Denver East had a commanding 44-12 edge in shots on goal, including 16-2 in the first period and 18-5 in the second, and the Mustangs were 0-for-4 on the power play.

The Mustangs trailed only 3-0 after two periods, but came unglued a bit down the stretch.

“We needed our ‘A’ game and we didn’t have it,” Brady said. “We can’t get over the hump now.”

The Mustangs were 21^st in the RPI playoff qualifying entering the game and next will face Doherty at Sertich Arena in Colorado Springs on Monday, Feb. 3, 6:25 p.m.