Columbia, MD - The first fall sport to hit the ground running in 2025 will be men's soccer, and after the season the Dragons had in 2024, 2025 should be even more intriguing.
The Dragons went 8-7-1 in 2024, finishing fourth in the Region table under first-year head coach
Rob Ryerson. They featured one of Region 20's best defensive units and made a trip to the Region semifinals. This year, Howard has the added pressure of hosting the NJCAA Region 20 tournament, along with reconstructing their roster.
"The challenge our coaching staff has faced this year is how best to blend our few returning players with our new players," said head coach
Rob Ryerson. "The only way we can really do that is to just go out and play games and see where we need to make adjustments."
The Dragons have brought 17 new players onboard, with just five returning players from last year's squad. Two of those players,
Bryan Barrientos (Catonsville, MD/Catonsville) and
Sebastian Fonseca (Columbia, MD/Oakland Mills), were starters for the Dragons. The other three returners are
Rafa Benitez (Hyattsville, MD/Eleanor Roosevelt),
Antonio Argueta (Columbia, MD/Wilde Lake), and
Kevin Rubi (Columbia, MD/Long Reach), all of whom had excellent seasons off the bench last year.
As for the newcomers, the Dragons bring aboard three first-team all-Howard County players in
Alan Gutierrez (Laurel, MD/Reservoir),
Jonathan Sanchez (Ellicott City, MD/Mount Hebron), and
Nicholas Mirecki (Glenelg, MD/Glenelg). Mirecki was named the Player of the Year for Howard County last season, while Sanchez will provide the Dragons a dominant force in net. The Dragons also added several key international players from Ethiopia, Costa Rica, and Serbia.
"It's exciting to see the enthusiasm the players have this year," said Coach Ryerson. "We're looking for players who are commited to making us a better team than we were last year."
The Dragons' new players have been working hard to earn a spot on the roster, and with a tough schedule ahead, Howard needs all hands on deck. The Dragons play four consecutive home games to kick off the season, including the annual Club Day against Garrett College. A tough road schedule will see Howard face a postseason rematch with Anne Arundel on September 18, and three ranked opponents in #7 Mercer, #14 Montgomery, and #5 CCBC Essex to wrap up the season.
"We're hoping that we can have the opportunity to make it back to the semifinals," said Coach Ryerson. "The beginning portion of the season will tell us a lot about how the incoming players will adapt to playing at the collegiate level."
Howard officially begins their season tomorrow at 2:00 PM against the College of Southern Maryland.
