Box Score BEL AIR, Md. -- Harford nearly led from start to finish as they coasted to a win over conference foe Catonsville, 5-0.

The Fighting Owls were able to get into their game early when Carmine Hess got on the score sheet just 34 seconds into the competition. He gathered a loose ball in stride and smashed a first time shot into the net from the top of the box.

Harford (2-2, 2-1) controlled the game defensively, only allowing three shots on goal. Christian Vito was hardly ever challenged in his first career shutout.

Despite playing well in the first half, Harford only led 1-0. But Saidu Sankoh gave the Fighting Owls some breathing room in the 55th minute when he finished a move by Chris King and Dylan Tipton to tally his sixth goal of the season.

Catonsville (1-4, 1-1) put the game out of reach for themselves when they could not handle a loose ball in their area for an own goal to put Harford up 3-0.

Hess scored his second goal of the night when he got on the end of a Keith Cyphers driven free kick from near the right corner flag to tap-in at the back post.

Raul Xavier capped off the victory for Harford with the play of the night when he used the outside of his right foot to curl a shot to beat the Catonsville keeper, William Grace, Jr, at the near post. This came on the heels of Glenn Grove hitting a perfect shot that beat the keeper to the back post only to see it headed clear at the line from a Catonsville defender. Grove would retrieve the rebound and set Xavier up for his goal moments later.

The Fighting Owls will travel to Frederick for an MD JUCO Conference game on Friday.