Columbia, MD - For the eighth season in a row, the Howard Community College men's soccer team advanced to the semifinals of the Region 20 tournament, defeating Anne Arundel Community College 3-0.

Led by goals from three different Dragons, Howard avenged a 3-3 tie against the Riverhawks during the regular season. The Dragons outshot Anne Arundel 26 to seven and recorded a whopping 16 corner kicks.

Howard scored quickly, as Bryan Barrientos (Catonsville, MD/Catonsville) netted an unassisted goal in the tenth minute. The Dragons fought hard to add another goal in the first half, but a stiff Riverhawks defense kept the game close. Dragons goalkeeper Luke Ryerson (Ellicott City, MD/Howard) made two great saves to preserve the 1-0 halftime shutout.

The second half remained a defensive stalemate until the 74th minute. Bliden Elung (Columbia, MD/Oakland Mills) broke loose and tipped a pass to Rafa Benetiz (Hyattsville, MD/Eleanor Roosevelt) who slipped the ball over the keeper for the game-clinching goal. A penalty shot goal by Darian Paz (Fredericksburg, VA/Stafford) iced the contest for the Dragons.

Sam Santos (Columbia, MD/Oakland Mills) finished with a game-high seven shots and six shots on goal. Barrientos had five shots, three shots on goal, and his lone goal. Defender Kyle Simmons (Columbia, MD/Atholton) recorded four shots with two on goal, while Paz had three shots with one on goal.

The Dragons are headed to Arnold, Maryland for the semi-finals of the 2024 NJCAA Region 20 Division II tournament. For their next matchup, they'll face off against Region 20 powerhouse CCBC Essex on Wednesday, October 30, the same team that eliminated the Dragons from the last three playoffs.