Aurora – After essentially handing Smoky Hill’s girls soccer team two goals in the first seven minutes of action, Mullen could have fallen apart, or at least showed some concern.
But the Mustangs would not own up to any feelings other than confidence, even in the face of a two-goal deficit, and Mullen would score the next five goals to finish with a 5-3 victory over the Buffaloes in a Class 5A Centennial League contest Tuesday night at Legacy Stadium.
“I wasn’t fazed by falling behind. It was just a slow start and we knew we would pick it up. We’re are not the kind of team that is going to fall apart,” Mullen sophomore Danielle Foxhoven said.
Foxhoven scored twice, first to put Mullen on the scoreboard and then again to tie the game 2-2 on a penalty kick. Meredith Smith, Hannah Peterson and co-captain Shelby Engelbert contributed a goal, and the victory improved Mullen’s record to 5-2 overall and 2-0 in league play.
Smoky Hill, with goals by Megan Woodworth, Kelley Johnson and Chelsea Swazo, dropped to 4-2-2, 0-1.
The Buffaloes took a 2-0 lead with gift goals in the opening minutes of play.
First, on the defensive end, a Mullen defender played the ball back to first-half goalkeeper Christina Palomino, who tried to boot the ball upfield but instead delivered it to Woodworth. Woodworth simply controlled the ball and fired a roller to left side of the net for a goal.
That play came in the fourth minute. Three minutes later, Johnson lifted what looked to be a long crossing pass from the right flank toward the goal. The ball drifted, however, and Palomino looked uncertain of her position in front of the goal when she blocked it down to the ground with her hands.
She was too deep in the goal, however, and the ball dropped inside the goal line to give Smoky Hill a 2-0 lead.
Mullen responded less than a minute later with Foxhoven’s first score, and she would tie the game one minute before halftime with the penalty kick.
After the break in the 42nd minute, Smith took a beautiful lead pass from Tony McClain and beat Smoky Hill goalkeeper Lauren Fensten. Smith said the game was over in her mind at the point.
“I knew that would win it,” she said. “At that point, there was no doubt. After those first two goals (by Smoky Hill), we came right back and scored, so I wasn’t worried at all.”
Mullen 2 3 – 5
Smoky Hill 2 1 – 3
Goals – M: Foxhoven 2, Smith, Peterson, Engelbert; SH: Woodworth, Johnson, Swazo.
Assists – M: May, McClain, Kerridge, MacDonald.
SOG – Mullen 4-8 – 12; Smoky Hill 6-3 – 9. Saves – Mullen (Palomino) 4 (Tooley) 2 – 6; Smoky Hill (Fensten) 2-5 – 7. Corner kicks – Mullen 2-2 – 4; Smoky Hill 0-1 – 1. Offsides – Mullen 2-3 – 5; Smoky Hill 0-0 – 0. Penalties – Mullen 5-14 – 19; Smoky Hill 5-3 – 8. Yellow cards – Smoky Hill (34th); Engelbert (61st), MacDonald (77th).
