ROCKVILLE, MD — The Howard Community College women's soccer team fell 4-1 to Montgomery College on Thursday afternoon. The nearby rivals who play in Division I of the NJCAA were able to come away with the victory to improve to 3-7-2 on the year but are now 3-2-2 against Maryland opponents.
Montgomery jumped out to an early start as Brianna Herrera-Talavera scored on off a corner kick in the 16th minute of the game.
The Dragons struck back in the 31st minute after a bizarre set of circumstances. The Montgomery College goalkeeper hit the ball twice while taking a goal kick, resulting in the Dragons earning an indirect free kick from just six yards away from the Raptos goal. Maeve Daly tapped the ball to Gabriela Rodriguez who was able to shoot the ball through the nine Montgomery players that were lined up on the goal line, tying the match at 1-1.
Montgomery regained the advantage just before halftime when Lillia Erickson scored in the 43rd minute, assisted by Brianna Herrera-Talavera, giving the hosts a 2-1 lead at the break.
Erickson added two more goals in the second half, scoring in the 74th and 77th minutes to complete the hat trick and extend Montgomery's lead to 4-1.
Rodriguez led Howard's attack with four shots, all of which were on target, while Daly recorded an assist. Madison Falby and Ashly Dominguez also registered shots for the Dragons.
Howard goalkeeper Sophia Newman kept the Dragons within striking distance throughout the match, making 18 saves on Montgomery's 34 shots.
Montgomery finished with a 34-6 advantage in shots and a 22-4 edge in shots on goal. The Dragons had one corner kick, while Montgomery had three.
Howard will return to action Tuesday, October 6, when the Dragons travel to face the College of Southern Maryland. Kickoff is scheduled for 2 PM.
