WINDSOR — Lets face it, wherever the Mullen Mustangs go, be it Cortez to Sterling or anywhere in between, they aren’t necessarily welcomed with open arms.
It’s a trait they’ve learn to not only embrace but use to their advantage in every sport.
On Wednesday night, the 11th-seeded Mustangs boys soccer team behind Skyler Erickson’s late game-winning goal advanced to their second consecutive Class 4A state semifinals, ending the magical season of the Windsor Wizards, 3-2 at H.J. Dudley Field.
Mullen (11-5-1) will play No. 2 Air Academy (17-1), a 7-1 winner over Longmont on Wednesday, on Saturday at 6:30 p.m. at Englewood’s Pirate Stadium with the winner advancing to the title game next Wednesday at Dick’s Sporting Goods Park.
“One thing we are proud of, is that we don’t play the victim card, we just get right back at it,” Mullen coach Sean Keefe said. “That’s not just the mark of good player or a good team, but a good kid and that’s one thing we as coaches love about this team.”
It was third-seeded Windsor that struck first, when freshman midfielder made the Mullen defense pay for a failed clear, scoring only his second goal of the season past Mustangs keeper Liam O’Connor.
The celebration lasted all of four minutes. Mullen’s Hank Baker fired a shot through a crowded box, that Wizards keeper Kyle Weinmeister never saw clearly, to tie the score.
The Mustangs would make a statement out of the break when striker Kenneth Clarizio beat defender Terran Hause then Weinmeister with a brilliant shot just under the bar.
Windsor (16-2) had one more rally in the tank. Just moments after defender Travis Urie committed a foul outside the Windsor box, he was whistled again inside the box for a takedown of Kyle Gonzales. The ensuing penalty kick, with 11:48 showing on the clock, by Matt Lee was saved by O’Connor, but the rebound came right back to Lee who finished easily.
“I thought we did have the momentum at that point, just like we did going to the half,” Windsor coach Phil Weiser said. “You thought it was shifting, but that was a heckuva shot by No. 10. It was going to take that kind of effort to win the game.”
Erickson’s game-winner was nearly a mirror image of Clarizio’s goal in terms of where it beat Weinmeister, just under the bar and just inside the post.
“Just got it at the top of the box and shot at that left corner,” Erickson said. “That’s all there is to it.”
Mullen 1 2 — 3
Windsor 1 1 — 2
Goals — 1, W, Johnson (unassisted), 15th minute; 2, M, Baker (unassisted), 19th; 3, M, Clarizio (unassisted), 44th; 4, W, Lee (unassisted); 5, M, Erickson (unassisted), 75th.
Shots on goal — Mullen 7-5 – 12; Windsor 4-5 – 9. Saves — Mullen (O’Connor) 3-4 – 7; Windsor (Weinmeister) 6-3 – 9. Corner kicks — Mullen 5-1 – 6; Windsor 0-4 – 4. Fouls — Mullen 2-8 – 10; Windsor 5-2 – 7. Yellow cards — Hause, W, 42nd; Mascolo, M, 77th; B. Brazelton, M, 80th.
Jon E. Yunt: 303-954-1354 or jyunt@denverpost.com.
