Men’s soccer defeated Howard in its most overpowering game yet with a resounding 5–0 victory that gave GW its second consecutive shutout win.
The Colonials (4-2-2) took a break from the Atlantic 10 slate to beat their crosstown rival at home with a flurry of offensive attacks and corner kicks that overwhelmed the Bisons (1-5). The Colonials bulldozed the Howard defense and only gained steam as the game wore on, scoring two in the first half and three in the second, in GW’s second straight game holding the opposing team scoreless.
GW dominated possession with a .208 shooting average and 12 shots on goal as they outsmarted the Bisons’ defense throughout the game. The Colonials’ five goals marked their highest scoring game since 2018 when they scored six goals against American in late August.
A shot from junior defender Lucas Matuszewski that fell short from the net kickstarted the action before Howard took possession and fired its first shot of the game from sophomore forward Baker Bryson at bottom center, but junior goalkeeper Justin Grady snatched it out of the air.
After the Colonials regained the ball, senior midfielder Elias Norris ran down the box to score the first goal for GW six minutes into the game. Graduate student midfielder Connor Stephens shot to score again for GW when he crossed it from the bottom left but failed to put it past freshman goalie JR Gawel.
GW and Howard entered a corner battle with each of their own kicks out of their respective boxes but failed to connect on either attempt. A bottom-left shot from junior midfielder Tim Neumann almost delivered the second goal for the Colonials, but a quick save by Bryson blocked the shot.
In the 62nd minute, senior midfielder Tiago Carvalho saw his chance to shoot with a right cross to graduate student midfielder Oscar Haynes Brown, who netted the second goal of the afternoon, good for a 2–0 Colonials lead.
The Colonials continued a shooting frenzy with four attempts aiming to further their lead, but they could not overcome Bryson’s steady hands in the final 20 minutes of the first half. The aggressive GW offense collected six fouls in the first half as a product of their pressure on the Bison’s defense.
The second half continued with six substitutions for GW that intensified the vigor on the field with help from freshman forward Alex Nicholson, junior midfielder Carter Humm and Haynes Brown.
In the first minute of the second half, the Bisons received a yellow card in response to a coach screaming from the sidelines.
The Bisons had two opportunities to gain their first goal of the match by way of two corner kicks, but they failed to press the ball in the zone long enough to score.
The Colonials proceeded to spur into action, first with a pair of shots on goal from Haynes Brown. One minute later, a GW corner kick fell to junior defense Aaron Kronenberg, who kicked the rebound ball down center to give the Colonials a 3–0 advantage.
GW locked down with some tight defense against the Bisons attacking for their first goal, but Grady clutched each shot at the net to hold Howard scoreless in the final 45 minutes of the game. The Colonials once again fired a corner kick in the 62nd minute when senior forward Tom Cooklin passed down the ball to Haynes to shoot and score, widening the lead to 4–0.
The Howard team earned two more warning yellow cards after junior Miles Sims and junior midfielder Abdullah Aljirafi attempted a tackle against GW. The Colonials responded with their final goal from freshman Nicholson who knocked home a bouncing ball from Norris, leading GW to the final score of 5–0.
The Colonials set new season highs with their five goals, 24 shots and 12 shots on goal in the game. GW will face Loyola Chicago on Saturday, and kickoff is set for 4 p.m.
