BEL AIR, MD -- Harford women's soccer put together a strong all-around performance Tuesday night, defeating conference and regional rival CCBC Essex, 5–1, behind an explosive offensive attack and steady defensive play to snag their first victory of the season.

"Having a win under our belt is a huge weight off our shoulders, especially coming off a tough season opening loss [to a ranked Monroe Community College team]," said head coach Rebecca Volk. I'm proud of our freshmen for playing with a ton of heart." 
 
The Knights opened the scoring in the 25th minute when Essex's Melat Abrham slipped one past the Harford defense to make it 1–0. The Fighting Owls responded quickly, however, leveling the match less than three minutes later.

Aubrey Heise (North Harford) delivered a perfectly placed corner kick that found Sydney Stoneback (North Harford), who buried the equalizer in the 28th minute.
 
Momentum continued to swing in Harford's favor late in the first half. In the 40th minute, Heise recorded her second assist of the night, setting up Lila Vincenti (Havre de Grace) who gave the Owls a 2–1 lead heading into halftime.

"Fortunately, we were able to respond before halftime and earn the lead back, so I didn't have to tell the team [much during the break]," Volk said. "They responded on their own and held onto the energy for the rest of the game, which is a great sign of their desire to play for each other." 
 
Harford carried that energy into the second half. Just 17 minutes in, Emma Paff (Homeschool) extended the lead to 3–1 off a setup from Macy Forest (Perryville). The Owls' attack didn't slow down, as Candace Kobus (North Harford) struck twice in the final 12 minutes, scoring in the 79th and 88th minutes to secure the commanding 5–1 victory.

"Candace is such a special player. She's a solid defender and can be super dangerous when she gets moving forward," Volk said. "She proved that if she's viven the space, she can create a goal from almost nothing." 
 
Goalkeepers Kaylee Norstrand (Bel Air) and Emma Zegers (Bel Air) combined for a strong outing in net, with Zegers making key stops in the second half to preserve the lead.
 
The win highlighted Harford's balanced attack, with five different players recording either a goal or assist. Heise led the way with two assists, while Kobus paced the team with her late brace.