Top-seeded Mullen boys soccer edges Golden

DENVER — It only took one goal late-Tuesday afternoon at Mullen High School.

Sophomore Bash Smith punched No. 1-seeded Mullen’s ticket into the Class 4A state quarterfinals with his goal in the 69th minute. The Mustangs grabbed a 1-0 victory over No. 16 Golden.

“The ball was just bouncing around,” Smith said. “I was able to hit it and go top (shelf). It was great.”

It was the lone goal Golden senior goalie Garett Kula gave up on the Mustangs’ home field. Kula had robbed Mullen junior JT Gerber just before halftime to keep the game scoreless, but Smith’s shot was too perfect for Kula to get a hand on.

“We just didn’t clear on that one like we needed to,” Golden coach Jamie Scarcliff said of the lone goal. “We talked about clearing it up the middle. Mullen is good about picking up the trash. We left that one open for them.”

Mullen (13-2-2 record) has a 6-game winning streak as the top-seed and was the first 4A team to advance to the quarterfinals on Saturday, Nov. 9.

Golden (10-4-3) came into Tuesday afternoon’s playoff game on the longest winning streak of any 4A boys soccer team. The Demons had won 10 straight since starting off the season with a 0-3-3 record.

“There were some doubts, but we got it done,” Smith said as the Mustangs move on to face the winner of No. 9 Durango and No. 8 Montbello, who are scheduled to play at 5 p.m. Wednesday, Nov. 6.

During Golden string of 10 consecutive victories, the Demons outscored their opponents 63-2. Mullen senior goalie Ethan DesMarteau was able to hand Golden its first shutout loss since a 2-0 defeat to Evergreen on Sept. 16.

“We had our fair share of opportunities,” Scarcliff said. “We just didn’t execute well enough.”

The 2 p.m. start worked out with Mullen getting the game in before the weather rolled in, along with getting a large student crowd with it being an early-release day at Mullen.

“It helped a lot,” Smith said of the large amount of Mullen students that filled up three sets of temporary bleachers. “The energy change was crucial. I helped us push to that final goal.”

Scarcliff was pleased with her squad closing out its season with a strong effort.

“I’m super proud of the way we showed up in this game,” Scarcliff said. “This was probably one of our best games overall of how we performed 11 on the field for 80 minutes.”