Essex, MD - The #2 seeded Howard Community College Dragons dominated in the Region 20 tournament semifinals with a convincing 17-8 road victory over #3 seeded CCBC Essex. The Knights stayed close to the Dragons early on, but the tournament hosts could not contain a late game onslaught.

After falling behind 1-0 early, the Dragons responded quickly as Lukas Rozon tied the game midway through the opening quarter. Quinn Brennan followed with a goal to give Howard the lead, and Logan Foust added another before the end of the period. Brandon Klopp scored with 17 seconds left in the first quarter to help Howard carry a 4-3 advantage into the second.

After a 30 minute delay due to lightning in the area, Howard took control in the second quarter behind a dominant stretch from Foust, who scored three times in the frame. William Pesce also found the net as the Dragons outscored Essex 4-2 in the quarter to take an 8-5 halftime lead.

The Dragons broke the game open in the third quarter, scoring five times while limiting CCBC Essex to two goals. Brennan opened the scoring in the period, while Rozon and Foust each added goals during the run. The stout Howard defense continued to make life difficult for the Knights, forcing 28 turnovers including eight on clear attempts to keep Essex stifled offensively.

Howard closed the contest with four more goals in the final quarter. Bobby Pupich got on the board, Brennan scored his fourth of the afternoon, and Rozon netted two more, including a man-down goal with 3:13 remaining.

Rozon and Foust led the offensive attack with five goals each. Rozon added three assists for an eight-point performance, while Foust chipped in two assists for seven points. Brennan finished with four goals, while Klopp, Pesce and Pupich each added one.

Defensively, Howard controlled possession throughout the day, winning the ground-ball battle 58-38 with the starting trio of JT Ferguson, Shane Dubois, and Kobe Brown physically dominating their opponents along with key defensive contributions from Joseph Wolfe, Dominic Damico, Evan Tubb, and Wade Davis. The Dragons were able to force Essex to an 0-4 game in extra man opportunities.

Goalkeeper Lewis Collora made nine saves in the win as he lowered his goals against average in a strong display between the pipes. Ethan Sands proved very effective in the face-off circle as he went 6-11 with four ground balls.

The Dragons will advance to the regional championship game where they will take on #1 seeded Harford. The Fighting Owls are 10-1 on the season including a couple of wins over the Dragons, including a double overtime thrilled in early March.