Harford wins DI Women's Region XX Soccer Championship

BEL AIR, Md. - The Harford women's soccer team earned the 2015 NJCAA Region XX Championship with a 1-0 victory over CCBC Essex on Saturday. The victory is the fifth Region XX Championship for the women's program under head coach Jason Muffoletto and the second-straight for the Fighting Owls.

In a hard-fought, physical contest, the lone goal of the day came in the 37th minute. Sophomore All-American candidate Angela Kuhn sent a perfectly-placed long, through ball to a streaking Emily Naff. Naff beat her defender in the box and chipped the ball to the opposite upper 90 for her sixth tally of the season.

The Knights, however, didn't quit for the remaining 53 minutes. When the two teams played in the regular season, Harford blasted CCBC Essex 6-0 in Baltimore behind a pair of goals from Naff and a hat trick for Kuhn. On Championship Saturday, the Knights showed up to play at Harford. 

Harford's Jazmine Thacker was only forced to make two saves in the second half, but CCBC Essex had numerous scoring chances throughout the afternoon. The Fighting Owl defensive back line of Natalie Decker, Abbie Springer, Carly Lambert and Joelle Matthews were physical and kept the Knights off the scoreboard for the team's fourth shutout in its last seven contests.

Kuhn, Naff, Thacker, Springer and Lambert earned Region XX All-Tournament Honors for their championship efforts on Saturday. The Fighting Owls now host the Region X winner on Nov. 7, one win away from back-to-back trips to the NJCAA National Tournament.

RELEASE: Courtesy Harford Community College Sports Information 

All-Tournament Team