Columbia, MD - Howard Community College rallied from an early deficit and delivered a dramatic finish, edging the College of DuPage 11–10 in double overtime on Saturday afternoon at Dragons Turf Field. Lukas Rozen provided the fireworks ending to cap off an amazing comeback victory for the #2 ranked Dragons now at 6-1 for the season.
College of DuPage came out strong, jumping to a 3-1 lead after the first quarter and extending it to 8-4 midway through the second. The Chaparrals controlled the early tempo, capitalizing on efficient shooting and a pair of goals from Bennett Jones and MJ Keblusek. Howard responded late in the second quarter, sparked by Logan Foust (Ellicott City, MD/Mt. Hebron) and Rozon. Foust scored twice in the period, including a late goal with 35 seconds remaining to cut the deficit to 8-5 heading into halftime.
The Dragons continued to chip away in the third, with Rozon and John Stubbs (Catonsville, MD/Boys Latin) finding the back of the net to make it a two-goal game. Despite DuPage briefly pushing the lead back to three, Howard's momentum carried into the fourth quarter. William Pesce (Derwood, MD/Col. Zadok Magruder) ignited the comeback early in the fourth with a goal, and Foust took over from there. The sophomore attacker scored twice in the final four minutes, including the equalizer with just over a minute remaining to tie the game at 10-10.
After a scoreless first overtime period, Howard finally broke through in the second extra frame. Rozon delivered the game-winner at the 2:48 mark, finishing off a feed from Bobby Pupich (Huntley, IL/Huntley) to cap the comeback victory.
Foust led all scorers with four goals and an assist, while Rozon added three goals, including the decisive strike. Pesce played a key role as a facilitator, recording two goals and four assists.
Defensively, Howard held firm late, with goalkeeper Lewis Collora (Columbia, MD/Wilde Lake) making 14 saves to secure the win. The Dragons outshot DuPage 46-42 and held a 42-36 edge in ground balls, showcasing their persistence throughout the tightly contested matchup.
Howard Community College will look to carry the momentum forward into an epic rematch with the #1 ranked Harford Fighting Owls on Friday, April 3 at 7 PM in Bel Air, MD. Harford previously defeated the Dragons 16-15 in another double overtime classic back on March 4.
