Bel Air, Md. – In the semifinal round of the NJCAA Region 20 Division I Tournament last night, the Fighting Owls women's soccer team tallied a gritty 1-0 victory over the Montgomery Raptors (Montgomery College) at home in Bel Air to advance to the championship game and a chance at earning a fourth consecutive regional title.
"Our game plan was to apply pressure and force mistakes in key areas of the field," said Harford head coach Rebecca Volk. "Our forwards played a huge role in denying their backs a lot of time to distribute, especially in the channels. Forcing them to play through the middle gave us predictable assignments for marking, and only a few ways for them to score on us."
From the opening whistle, Harford set the tone. The Owls consistently tested Montgomery's back line and keeper in the first half—within the first five minutes alone, forward Lila Vincenti (Havre de Grace) produced a testing shot and Allison Putkisto (Harford Tech) followed up with another attempt.
At 17:50, the breakthrough came when substitute Emily Ovelman (Homeschool) entered the match and connected on the game's lone goal, assisted by Noelle Buckman (Homeschool).
"I knew it was going in before I even took the shot," Ovelman said. "You don't get opportunities like that often, so I just trusted my instincts and went for it."
Offensively, Harford out-shot Montgomery by a healthy margin, registering 13 total shots compared to the Raptors' seven, with five of those on target. The Fighting Owls also kept Montgomery at bay, limiting them to just two shots on goal and forcing Montgomery's keeper into four saves, while Harford's Emma Zegers (Bel Air) came on in goal for the second half and posted two saves of her own.
Defensively, the Fighting Owls executed with discipline. Montgomery's best second-half opportunity came at 69:04 when Juline Sonneveldt's shot rattled the crossbar, but Harford's back line and keeper held firm. Throughout the 90 minutes, Harford kept clear composure, avoiding any cautions, while the team recorded six fouls tied with Montgomery's total of six.
"Our composure in the back was essential our success," Volk said. "Alli Bierman has been a consistent presence for us since August and Maribella Sanchez has stepped into a key role as a freshman after proving her reliability and relentless effort."
Credit must also go to the Owls' depth and strategic late-game management. After building the 1-0 lead in the first half, Harford weathered the Raptors' push in the second, making tactical subs and holding the structure to preserve the edge.
For Harford, forward Vincenti posted five shots (two on goal) and Putkisto had four shots (one on goal) reflecting the attack-minded mindset of the squad. Meanwhile, Buckman's assist on the goal underlines the two-way performance from the back line and fullbacks this season, supporting attack and reinforcing defense. With these contributions, the Fighting Owls showcased their balanced team identity.
Montgomery, who entered the match at 8-10-2 overall (6-2-2 in conference) and came in as a formidable opponent, were stymied by Harford's tactical execution and proactive offense. The Raptors had just four shots on goal all game and mustered only two saves from Harford's netminder, underscoring Harford's dominance in possession and pressure.
In context of the regional rivalry, this result adds a meaningful chapter to Harford's history against Montgomery: the Fighting Owls hold a program advantage in the matchup (10 wins, 6 losses, 2 ties). That historical edge, paired with last night's disciplined performance, gives the Fighting Owls a confident platform heading into the regional final.
The win highlights Harford's strengths: early offensive initiative, disciplined defense, depth in the roster, and clutch execution when it counted.
With the 1-0 semifinal victory sealed, the Fighting Owls will now shift focus to the regional championship on Saturday, Nov. 1 at 12 p.m. against Hagerstown Community College.
"Tying Hagerstown earlier this year gives us some confidence to know we can compete with them," Volk said. "But the conditions will be completely different [this time] on our home field, on a different surface. If we're going to win the region for the fourth year in a row we will have to play better longer and execute our fundamentals."
