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Coach Michelle White’s field hockey team (10-3) lost its third game of the season on Saturday (Oct. 11) to non-league host Uxbridge (12-0, top seed in Division 3), 8-0. But other than that rare defeat this fall, the Red & Black girls are still among the top teams in the Division 1 power rankings.
As of Oct. 10, the team went from 11 to 7 in a division that’s comprised of 43 teams statewide. The two teams that defeated them last month – Walpole (12-1, top seed) and Belmont (9-1, fifth seed) – are ahead of them in the latest seedings.
After that loss to Walpole, the Winchester girls bounced right back to beat Melrose at home on Sept. 16, 6-0.
Ellie Drake paced the offensive attack with a hat trick. Julia Fredey chipped in with two scores and one assist. Stella DeChristoforo was credited with a goal and an assist. Addy Aufiero and Izzy Russo each setup one marker.
Two days later, the Red & Black edged Lexington, also at Knowlton, 3-2. Drake collected two more goals to lead the way in this game, as well. Samantha Gal assisted on both of her tallies. Sloane McCarthy accounted for the first goal of the game from Joyce Chen.
After a week off, Winchester returned to the Knowlton pitch to edge rival Reading, 2-1 on Sept. 25. Gal and Drake were the goal scorers against the Rockets. Chen setup Gal on her score, while Gal reversed roles on Drake’s marker.
McCarthy scored Winchester’s lone goal against the aforementioned Marauders, who escaped with a 3-1 triumph on Sept. 29. Drake was credited with the assist.
But then on the last day of September, the Red & Black exploded past host Wakefield, 6-0. Drake continued on her torrid scoring streak with four more goals to pace the attack in this game. Gal and Fredey each had one goal. Emme McCabe, Gal, Fredey, Chen and DeChristoforo produced the helpers. They then doubled up host Lexington to begin a brand-new month on Oct. 7, 4-2, followed by a 4-1 triumph over visiting Watertown two days later, before the Uxbridge blowout.
The Winchester girls hit the road this week against hosts Arlington (Oct. 14) and Burlington (Oct. 16). Both games are scheduled to begin at 4:15 p.m. on the sites of the respective high schools.
Joe McConnell is a longtime, award-winning sports editor for numerous North Shore publications. He began covering Winchester sports for the News last November.
