ENGLEWOOD | The first thing Vista PEAK boys soccer coach Jason Elliott noted when his team arrived at Mullen Thursday was how narrow the Mustangs’ home field was.
Those tight dimensions came into play on more than one occasion during the Class 4A first round state playoff contest, as fourth-seeded Mullen used them to its advantage in a four-goal second half that led to a 4-0 victory over the No. 29 Bison, who were making their postseason debut.
Sean Mahre scored the first and last goal for the Mustangs, while Grant Emrie — a major factor in the game with his long throw-ins — and Marc Sallinger also scored as Mullen advanced to a second round matchup with Montrose, a 5-0 winner over Pueblo Central.
Elliott’s Vista PEAK team made history as the school’s first varsity team to qualify for the postseason and finished 9-5-2.
The Bison showed a lot of moxie in a scoreless first half, playing evenly with a Mullen team with a size advantage and a dangerous weapon in Emrie’s ability to put the ball in the goal box with his throw-ins..
Both teams looked for the crucial first goal out of the break and it was the Mustangs who finally got it just 54 seconds into the second half when Mahre got his head on Emrie’s long toss across the front of the Vista PEAK goal and headed it past Bison freshman goalkeeper Alan Islas.
The Bison nearly had the equalizer just a minute later, but junior striker Jason Camey’s blast went wide.
Emrie did damage with his foot in the 54th minute when he got a free kick chance after he was taken down just outside of the goal box. The senior captain drilled a low shot past Vista PEAK’s six-man wall and beat a diving Islas inside the far post.
Another set play accounted for Mullen’s third goal three minutes later when Sallinger broke in front of the goal and redirected Troy Branigan’s free kick into the net to push the advantage to 3-0.
Mahre scored his second goal via header in the 75th minute on another Branigan assist.
Reach Sports Editor Courtney Oakes at sports@aurorasentinel.com or 303-750-7555
(4) MULLEN 4, (29) VISTA PEAK 0
Score by halves:
Vista PEAK 0 0 — 0
Mullen 0 4 — 4
SCORING
Second half
Mullen — Sean Mahre (Grant Emrie), 41st minute; Mullen — Emrie, 54th minute; Mullen — Marc Sallinger (Troy Branigan), 57th minute; Mullen — Mahre (Branigan), 75th minute
