The Howard CC men's soccer team had to come from behind twice to beat a tough NOVA team in overtime by the score of 3-2. It was the Dragons second straight win as they look to get past their tough 2 game losing streak the previous week.

The match was very physical from the start as fouls from both teams accumulated quickly. In fact, it only took 8 minutes for the first card to come out as Jason Mitchell (Dayton, MD, Washington Christian Academy) was shown a yellow for a slide tackle. The ensuing free kick was saved nicely by goalie Eric Gonzalez (Beltsville, MD, High Point HS), who also had to parry away a point blank header off a corner kick 2 minutes later.

The breakthrough in the game didn't come until the 34th minute when a NOVA cross came to Josaphat Letona whose initial shot was saved by Gonzalez, but the rebound came straight back to him and he was able to back-heel the ball into the net. 

HCC really push pressure on NOVA early in the 2nd half which paid off in the 53rd minute when a beautiful corner kick by Neosystos Konstantinou (Cyprus, Ayios Antonios Lyceum) found Mitchell's head and the back of the net to tie the game at 1-1. That score only stood for 14 seconds as NOVA attacked immediately after the kickoff and Letona put in his 2nd of the game to take the lead back.

That lead was good for the next 30 minutes with the Dragons desperately tried to even the score again. It wasn't until the 83rd minute when a misguided back pass by NOVA was pounced on by Walter Gonzalez (Beltsville, MD, High Point HS) who calmly struck the ball into the side netting to the delight of the home crowd. It appeared as if the Dragons would score again just two minutes later as Emmanuel Wright (Columbia, MD, Mt. Hebron HS) slithered into the center of the box, but his shot was well saved by the NOVA keeper.

The game went into overtime, but that only lasted 4 minutes as it was Wright again in a dangerous position but this time he masterfully chipped a shot over the keeper and into the net for the game winner.

The Dragons travel to Cecil College on Wednesday September 23rd for a 4 PM kick-off as they get back to MD JUCO conference play.