BEL AIR, Md. — The Harford Community College men's soccer team finished its regular season with a four-goal win at home on Tuesday night, defeating Cecil College 6-2 at the Harford Sports Complex.
Harford ends the season with an overall record of 11-5-2 and now enters the NJCAA Region 20 Division II Tournament as the No. 3 seed. They will play No. 6 Garrett College on Saturday at home in a quarterfinal match, with kickoff scheduled for 4 p.m.
The Fighting Owls established control right out of the gate with
Gabriel Nobrega scoring the first goal of the game in the first minute, off an assist from
Fernandinho Waidemam.
Andile Muhlauri doubled that score, converting a penalty kick at 12:01. A goal from
Yannik Paul Zepuntke assisted by
Mani Awah, at 40:37, rounded out the scoring for the first-half.
Harford's offensive production extended beyond its three goals. The Fighting Owls recorded 18 shots in the opening half, putting pressure on Cecil's defense and forcing goalkeeper Tim Brueckner to make six saves before the break. Harford also generated three corner kicks in the first half, while Cecil did not earn a corner kick throughout the match.
Cecil (7-9-2) fought back, however, at the start of the second half, recording a goal by Luis Petavy at 46:22, Mylo Sims credited with the assist. They narrowed in on Harford with another goal in the 51st minute by Alejandro Vasconez who was assisted by Luis Petavy.
Petavy contributed to both of Cecil's second-half goals, scoring once and assisting on Vasconez's tally. The two goals came less than five minutes apart, changing the match from a three-goal Harford advantage to a one-goal contest. Cecil's response made Harford's next goal particularly important, as the Fighting Owls needed to restore some separation before closing out the regular season.
Harford responded to this pressure with a goal by Awah in the 66th minute, assisted by
Fernandinho Waidemam. The Fighting Owls added to the scoreboard again with a goal from
Pedro Azambuja at 79:04, assisted by Waidemam. Waidemam scored his first goal of the night off an assist from Awah.
Waidemam finished with one goal and three assists, alongside Awah who also scored a goal and had two assists.
Waidemam also recorded four shots on goal on five total attempts, while Awah finished with one shot on goal on three attempts. Their contributions were reflected in Harford's five assists across six goals, as the Fighting Owls consistently received credited scoring support from teammates.
Azambuja added another goal late in the match, giving Harford three second-half goals after Cecil had threatened to make the contest closer.
Harford dominated the game, relentlessly applying offensive pressure, outshooting Cecil 32-7 with 16 shots on goal to their four. They worked quickly, and cohesively to bring home a win in the season finale.
The Fighting Owls now turn their attention to Garrett College and the NJCAA Region 20 Division II Tournament. Harford defeated Garrett 2-0 at home on September 22.
Simon Bauer and
Liam Henebery accounted for the scoring and
Jack Friskey assisted on Bauer's goal.
The semifinals are scheduled for Oct. 28, followed by the championship game Oct. 31, both hosted by CCBC Essex on the turf field at CCBC Dundalk. Stay tuned to HarfordAthletics.com for more information.
