WASHINGTON (September 27, 2026) – Howard University men's soccer opened NEC play Sunday afternoon, falling to Central Connecticut State, 2-0, at Greene Stadium.
The setback snapped the Bison's two-match home winning streak, moving them to 2-7-0 overall (0-1 NEC) while Central Connecticut State improved to 3-6-0 (1-0 NEC).
The Bison created the first scoring opportunity of the afternoon when
Zach Simmons (Rockwall, Texas) sent a shot wide left just 1:08 into the match.
Central Connecticut State began to generate pressure midway through the opening half, forcing Howard goalkeeper
Liam Keiller (Gaithersburg, Md.) into his first save in the 29
th minute, making a stop in the bottom-left corner.
The Blue Devils broke through in the 36
th minute to take a 1-0 lead into intermission.
Howard entered halftime trailing by one despite Keiller's save and a defensive effort that limited the Blue Devils to three first-half shots.
Howard produced its first second-half shot in the 55
th minute when
Calien Thomas (Ithaca, N.Y.) sent an attempt over the goal.
Rayce Welborne (Lawrenceville, N.J.) followed with another attempt that sailed high in the 63
rd minute.
Central Connecticut State doubled its advantage moments later when their lead scorer converted a penalty kick at 64:34, giving the Blue Devils a 2-0 lead.
Keiller kept Howard within striking distance during the remainder of the match, making four saves over the final 20 minutes. He stopped a Blue Devil attempt in the 74
th minute before denying two shots in the 85
th and 86
th minutes.
The Blue Devils finished with a 14-3 advantage in shots, including an 8-0 edge in shots on goal.
Howard did not record a shot on target while Keiller finished with six saves. Central Connecticut State goalkeeper Carter Fitzgerald was not forced to make a save.
Marin led all players with two goals on four shots, including four shots on goal. For Howard, Thomas, Simmons and Welborne each recorded one shot.
Howard returns to action Thursday, Oct. 1, traveling to Staten Island, N.Y., for a 7 p.m., conference matchup against Wagner College.
For more information on Howard men's soccer visit the official Howard Athletics website
www.hubison.com.
