Troy, NY - In one of the biggest victories in program history, the Howard Community College Dragons smashed the Hudson Valley Community College Vikings 34-2 on Friday night.
Ten Dragons scored multiple goals, with two scoring six as Howard built a 15-2 halftime lead, then scored 19 unanswered second-half goals to take their most impressive victory of the season. The 34-2 win marks the largest margin of victory for the Dragons since a 34-0 blowout win over CCBC Catonsville in 2018.
The Dragons and Vikings were tied 1-1 early in the first when Howard exploded in a 12-0 run. After another Vikings' goal, Howard scored 21 unanswered goals to close out the game.
Howard's stat sheet read like a dream come true. The Dragons tallied 26 total assists, 60 total points, 54 total shots on goal, and won 30- of the 39 faceoffs. Starting goalkeeper
Diego Balderrama (Phoenix, AZ/Desert Vista) only needed to make one save all day as Howard's defense crunched Hudson Valley's attackers. The Dragons forced 14 turnovers and scooped up 77 ground balls.
Lukas Rozon (Ottawa, ON/Citadelle) and
Joseph McConaghy (Columbia, MD/Oakland Mills) led the Dragons with six goals each.
William Pesce (Derwood, MD/Col. Zadok Magruder),
Logan Foust (Ellicott City, MD/Mt. Hebron), and
Brandon Klopp (Glenelg, MD/Glenelg) each recorded three goals, while
Quinn Brennan (Kingsville, ON/Kingsville District),
Bobby Pupich (Huntley, IL/Huntley),
Henry Cullen (Silver Spring, MD/James Hubert Blake),
Nico Sells (Silver Spring, MD/James Hubert Blake), and
John Stubbs (Catonsville, MD/Boys Latin) each scored two goals. Rozon led the Dragons with seven assists, 13 points, 18 total shots, and eleven shots on goal.
Ethan Sands (Woodbine, MD/Glenelg) and
Marcello Ioco (Romeo, MI/Romeo) each recorded eight ground balls, while
Evan Tubb (Laurel, MD/Reservoir) caused four total turnovers. Sands went a perfect 4-4 at the faceoff line for the Dragons.
Howard's Sunday showdown with Genessee Community College was declared a no-contest, so the Dragons will next take to the field on Saturday, March 28 for a top-five showdown against Nassau Community College at 2:00 PM.
