Essex, MD - The 2025 men's lacrosse season came to an end last Saturday for the Howard Community College Dragons, as they fell 9-6 to the CCBC Essex Knights in the first round of the NJCAA National Tournament.

The Dragons had snagged an at-large bid for the tournament and got a third chance to face the rival Knights, but for the second time in the last three years, Howard's season would end at the hand of Essex. The Dragons kept the game close throughout, holding Essex to under ten goals. A pair of goals each from Logan Foust (Ellicott City, MD/Mt. Hebron) and John Stubbs (Catonsville, MD/Boys Latin) kept Howard in the contest until the very end, where three unanswered goals from the Knights put the game away.

Saturday's game was a defensive struggle from the start, with Essex taking a 2-0 lead into the second. Howard got their first goal early in the second, as John Stubbs (Catonsville, MD/Boys Latin) scored off a pass from William Pesce (Derwood, MD/Col. Zadok Magruder). Another Essex goal made it 3-1, but the Dragons dug in their heels and scored a last-second goal courtesy of Logan Foust (Ellicott City, MD/Mt. Hebron).

Down 3-2 entering the third, the Dragons once again needed to come back from multiple goals, as Essex scored quickly in the period. Mitchell Dua (Mount Airy, MD/Loyola Blakefield) brought the Dragons back to within one off a pass from Stubbs, and after an Essex penalty put them into a man-up situation, Howard tied the contest on a Foust goal. The two rivals would enter the fourth tied 4-4.

Essex once again scored early in the fourth to retake the lead, but Howard immediately responded with a Cyrus Frid-Denikos (Elkridge, MD/Howard) goal. Both squads traded goals over the next few minutes, with Stubbs scoring the final goal of the season for the Dragons with eight minutes to go. Essex locked it down on defense, holding the Dragons scoreless over the last eight minutes. Three unanswered goals would make it 9-6 at the final whistle, ending Howard's season in the first round of the national tournament for the third straight year.

Foust finished the contest with two goals on three shots. Stubbs scored twice on eleven shots with two assists. Pesce had nine shots and one assist, while Caiden Hawlk (Dover, DE/Red Lion) led the Dragons with five ground balls. Owen Keesey (Mount Airy, MD/South Carroll) forced a team-leading three turnovers, and Aidan Ro (Ellicott City, MD/Marriotts Ridge) went 3-17 on faceoffs. Lewis Collora (Columbia, MD/Wilde Lake) made 14 total saves in net.

Stubbs finished the season as the leading scorer for the Dragons, with 41 total goals, 57 total points, 114 total shots, 65 total shots on goal, and two game-winning goals. Stubbs finished the season tied with Logan Foust (Ellicott City, MD/Mt. Hebron) for most man-up goals with three total. Mitchell Dua (Mount Airy, MD/Loyola Blakefield) finished the season with a team-leading 19 assists. Defensively, Aidan Ro (Ellicott City, MD/Marriotts Ridge) led the Dragons with 51 total ground balls, and Jack Feys (Poolesville, MD/Poolesville) led the Dragons with 25 total caused turnovers. Ro finished the year going 105-242 on faceoffs.

With the 2025 season now concluded, the Dragons will turn their attention to the future. Sophomores Jameson Smith (Sykesville, MD/Century), Nolan Emmett (Mechanicsville, VA/Atlee), Joshua Gull (Ijamsville, MD/Oakdale), Jack Feys (Poolesville, MD/Poolesville), Cyrus Frid-Denikos (Elkridge, MD/Howard), Luke Briggs (Windermire, FL/Windermire), Caiden Hawlk (Dover, DE/Red Lion), and Angelo Rosata (Ellicott City, MD/Centennial) will depart the Dragons in the offseason, and Howard will work to replenish the roster with new blood. The Dragons upped their total wins from three to five this past year, and will look to continue working towards their true potential for next season.