Arvada – Chatfield coach Brock Blume admits he doesn’t always know what to expect from his young team this season.
In Wednesday’s Class 5A nonleague game against Mullen, Blume found out his squad can get outplayed for long stretches but still has enough moxie to emerge with a sparkling 3-0 victory.
The fourth-ranked Chargers were outshot 10-6, gave up four corner kicks without earning one themselves and committed 25 fouls trying to corral the speedy Mustangs at the North Area Athletic Complex.
The Chargers (5-0-1) did have junior forward Aleah DeGenneres, who scored the first two goals and assisted on Tori Delmonico’s in the 75th minute as Chatfield won its fifth straight game and notched its third consecutive shutout behind freshman goalie Alyssa Gillmore.
“They came out fast and we came out flat,” Blume said. “The mark of a good team, which Mullen is, is to come out and try to surprise a team. For some odd reason, we were able to absorb the pressure.”
Mullen (3-2) missed a few scoring opportunities and a handful of half-chances as the Chargers defense, anchored by senior Jessica Quador, forced the Mustangs to shoot from distance.
“We were losing like every 50-50 ball,” Quador said. “Every time we would get up the field, they would come right back down at us.”
Quador nearly gave up a penalty kick in the eighth minute when she collided with Mullen’s Danielle Foxhoven in the 18-yard box. Seconds later, DeGenneres was awarded a penalty when Mullen’s Kaitlyn May knocked her down on the edge of the box.
DeGenneres hopped up and drilled the penalty kick past goalie Carrie Garnhart.
Mullen dominated the rest of the first half but couldn’t break through before the Chargers doubled their lead eight minutes into the second half.
DeGenneres ran on to a great through-ball from freshman Stephanie Rowe and tucked it past substitute goalie Annie Tooley.
Foxhoven worked tirelessly for the visitors and nearly scored on several occasions, as did freshman Hannah Peterson, who had her shot glance off the far post in the 55th minute.
Mullen coach Jay McClain was pleased with his team’s effort, but felt they deserved a better result.
“We did a lot of good things,” McClain said. “You got to give them credit; they put away their chances. That penalty kick kind of put us in a bad spot, but we had plenty of time to react and just didn’t get it done.”
Mullen 0 0 – 0
Chatfield 1 2 – 3
Goals – DeGenneres (penalty kick), 8th minute; DeGenneres (Rowe), 48th; Delmonico (DeGenneres), 75th.
Shots on goal – Mullen 6-4 – 10; Chatfield 3-3 – 6. Saves – Mullen (Garnhart 40 minutes, Tooley 40) 2-1 – 3; Chatfield 6-4 – 10. Offsides – Mullen 0-1 – 1; Chatfield 0-2 – 2. Corner kicks – Mullen 3-1 – 4; Chatfield 0-0 – 0. Fouls – Mullen 5-2 – 7; Chatfield 12-13 – 25. Yellow cards – Allen, C, 31st minute; Martinez, C, 43rd.
