ARNOLD, Md. – Harford men's soccer delivered a strong performance on the road Wednesday, shutting out Anne Arundel Community College 2-0 to improve to 5-4 overall and 5-1 in the Maryland JUCO Athletic Conference. The Fighting Owls controlled the pace of play early, generating numerous opportunities in the first half.

Cristian Lopez-Contreras (Chambersburg, Pa.), Taishier Lawrence (South Africa) and Joshua Bell (Kingston, Jamaica) all tested Anne Arundel goalkeeper Ethan Kiniry with nine combined shots, five of them on target, while Harford also earned several corner kicks.

Despite the pressure, the Riverhawks' defense held firm, and the match remained scoreless through the opening 45 minutes. Nick Cannon (Baltimore, Md.) was equally steady in goal for Harford, recording three saves, including a save on a dangerous effort from Axel Cartagena in the sixth minute of play.

The breakthrough for the Fighting Owls came just minutes into the second half.

After back-to-back corner kicks, Lopez-Contreras buried the game's first goal in the 50th minute, finishing a setup from Lawrence to give Harford the 1-0 lead. The Owls struck again less than ten minutes later when Lucas Britos (Sykesville, Md.) capitalized on a well-placed pass from Lopez-Contreras, doubling the advantage in the 59th minute.

Anne Arundel pressed forward in response, but Cannon and the Harford back line stood tall. The sophomore goalkeeper made several key saves, including back-to-back stops on headers and shots off corner kicks midway through the second half. With solid defensive play and smart possession, the Fighting Owls protected its lead and closed out the match with confidence.

Lopez-Contreras played a central role in the victory, recording a goal and an assist, while Lawrence added the other helper. Cannon earned the clean sheet in goal, highlighted by clutch saves in both halves.

The win marks Harford's second straight shutout in conference play, as they continue to climb the Maryland Juco Athletic Conference standings.

Harford returns to action today at 4 p.m. as they head to Westminster, Md. to take on conference foe Carroll Community College. In six career meetings, the Fighting Owls are 6-0 against the Lynx, outscoring them 41-6 in that span. 

Momentum and Confidence Continue to Build 

After stumbling a bit out of the gate with a 1-3 start, the Fighting Owls men's soccer team has flipped the script in a big way. Winners of four of its last five, Harford is not only finding results but doing so convincingly — outscoring opponents 19-6 during the stretch.

The turnaround has them sitting at 5-1 in the Maryland Juco Athletic Conference and right in the thick of the Region 20 Division I playoff picture.

At the heart of the surge is sophomore striker Lopez-Contreras, who has emerged as one of the region's most dangerous finishers. His six goals rank tied for second in Region 20 Division I and his 15 points trail only one player across the region. Running alongside him, Michael Cespedes (Chambersburg, Pa.) has become a dual threat, contributing both goals and assists with four of each. Throw in freshman Kyle Blevins (White Marsh, Md.) and Lawrence, and Harford suddenly has a multi-pronged attack that's hard to game-plan against.

The bigger story, though, may be in goal. With starter Archie Bennett (Bognor Regis, England) sidelined for six games due to injury, Harford has had to lean on a committee.

Freshman Louka Chainey (Quebec City, Quebec, Canada) has handled most of the minutes, keeping Harford competitive with a 2.19 goals-against average. Cannon and freshman Fabian Sutter (Stuttgart, Germany) have also stepped up to give the team crucial depth at a position that rarely rotates this much.

The final stretch won't be easy — nine opponents remain with a combined record of 32-30-10 (.514) — but Harford has already shown it can weather adversity. If their attack keeps firing and the keepers continue battling, the Fighting Owls could be a team no one wants to see come tournament time.