Columbia, MD - A one-sided affair saw the Howard Dragons easily get by the Northern Virginia Nighthawks in the Region 20 tournament quarterfinals by the score of 8-1. Hat tricks by Baraka Kagira-Kargbo (Freetown, Sierra Leone/Moorland) and Joebel Gray (Gambrills, MD/Arundel) highlighted a dominant Dragons team as they controlled possession and scoring chances in the game.

Howard jumped out to a great start as Jeffrey Fuentes set up Baraka Kagira-Kargbo (Freetown, Sierra Leone/Moorland) for two goals in the first 10 minutes of the game, the first off a corner kick and the second on a low cross into the box. Fuentes would set up Joebel Gray (Gambrills, MD/Arundel) in the 20th minute before Kagira-Kargbo completed his hat trick just 24 seconds later.

Leonard Dunor (Fargo, MD/Sheyenne) was taken down in the box and proceeded to score the penalty kick for his team leading 14th goal of the season. Gray would complete the first half scoring on a Boubacar Sissoko (Beltsville, MD/High Point) cross to make it 6-0 Howard at halftime. 

The Dragons kept scoring in the second half as Gray completed his own hat trick in the 52nd minute on a rebounded Dunor shot whole Fuentes would finally get to score a goal of his own in the 57th minute with Didier Estrada (Hyattsville, MD/Northwestern) getting credited with the assist on the through ball.

Howard will now prepare for their semifinal matchup with #1 seed and #3 nationally ranked CCBC Essex on Thursday, October 27. The two teams just faced each other earlier in the week with the Knights winning the contest 8-0.