Although last week’s loss to Colorado Springs Christian didn’t help the Manitou Springs girls soccer team in terms of its playoff seed, the Mustangs are still rolling into the postseason with a very different mentality than they had a year ago.
In 2021, the Mustangs (11-3-1 overall, 5-1 Tri-Peaks) entered the Class 3A state tournament as the No. 2 seed before losing to Aspen in the first round.
They’re not in quite as good a spot this year as they’re seeded No. 8, but that does mean they’ll begin the postseason at home. They’ll host St. Mary’s Academy at Richardson Field on Thursday, May 12.
After last year’s stunning defeat, this Manitou team has a much different mindset than last spring and the players are hoping that it results in a better outcome.
“We weren’t really prepared going into it,” Erica Sherwin said. “We were sure that we’d win right away and didn’t put the work in to get there.”
It was a hard lesson to learn, but the Mustangs feel they have indeed learned from what happened in that game.
“We’re ready to go this year,” Sherwin said.
The play on the field would certainly back up that statement. Entering the playoffs, Sherwin leads the Mustangs with 20 goals. Madrid Mack added 14 and also had a team-high 16 assists through the regular season.
Cassidy Kuzbek, Grace McCumber, Kara Donegan and Sami Benge-Kulzer have all contributed at least eight goals each to give the Mustangs a well-rounded offensive attack. Abby Parker has done a solid job anchoring the back line and Nici Sharon has done a great job at keeper in her first season with the Mustangs.
More important than all of this: The Mustangs have seen some tough opponents through the year, which should help them get through the early rounds in the postseason.
“This year has been different in that it’s been a more normal year,” coach Ben Mack said. “We’re much more battle tested, which is a good thing.”
Should the Mustangs beat St. Mary’s Academy, they may get a chance at revenge from last year. No. 9 Aspen opens the season against DSST: Conservatory and, if the Skiers win, they’ll travel to Manitou on Saturday, May 14.