EAST CHICAGO | Through six sectional games over the last two seasons, Munster hasn't allowed a single goal.
In games against E.C. Central, Clark and Hammond last year, then Clark and Morton this year, leading into Saturday's 9-0 sectional title win over the Wildcats, the Mustangs still haven't been scored on.
"We try to go in and fight as hard as we can. The goal is to never let any goals in," said Munster junior Allyson Goodrich, who scored twice and picked up an assist. "We try to fight them off. We had a few scares there, but we were able to hold them off."
The Mustangs defense picked up a lot of help from their offense. Munster did everything possible to keep the ball in its own attack zone, and Goodrich scored the game's first goal at 27:42 in the first half.
Badgering the Hammond goal keeper, starter Miram Martinez made six stops in the first half, but had to be carried off the field after halftime following a late first-half collision with a Munster player.
Martinez, a freshman, was replaced in the second half by classmate Perla Rodriguez, who made four saves.
"With us losing our goalie, we had to drop back the creme of the creme to the defense," Hammond coach Mayra Rodriguez said. "We were also missing another player, a defender, so we had to do what we could."
The Wildcats suffered their first loss of the season in the playoffs, finishing 13-1 and drenched their coach with water after the game, looking more like the winning team than one with a season ended.
"We've come a long way," Rodriguez said.
Eight Munster players scored, including six underclassmen.
The Mustangs, winners of two straight sectional titles, will play a rematch with Crown Point in the regional.
"One of our goals at the beginning of the season was to win conference and sectionals, to win both, and we've never done that in the same season," Munster coach Valerie Pflum said. "It was nice to do that. Now we're looking forward to Wednesday."
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