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In a season that started with an alleged roster controversy, the Winchester High girls soccer team (14-2-2) rose above all of the off-field noise to finish seventh in the state, according to the final Division 1 power rankings prior to the playoffs.
The Red & Black then went on to beat visiting Beverly in the Round of 32, 3-2 in double overtime to advance to the Sweet 16, where they lost a close bitter battle to visiting Concord-Carlisle, the 10th seed, 1-0.
Following that win, the Patriots made it all the way to the state semifinal game, only to lose to Franklin, the sixth seed, 2-0. Franklin will now play for the Division 1 state championship against Natick, the fourth seed, at Leominster’s Doyle Field on Saturday, Nov. 22, starting 10 a.m.
But a quick analysis of the postseason, power rankings serve only one purpose, and that’s to determine the state’s best teams, not necessarily in any particular order. This year, in Division 1, the fourth seeded team is facing the 10th seeded team for the state title, which certainly doesn’t diminish what the other Top 10 teams did this fall, and that includes the Winchester girls, who did their share of dominating games on the pitch in 2025 as the stats would indicate in this wrap-up story.
Coach Michelle Ross understands how good her team was, despite the distractions that they had to face, and she knows it’s only going to be the start of many more successes over the next few years.
Ross really enjoyed this season, and the resolve that her players consistently showed in every game, while offering her thoughts.
“Looking back on the season, this team faced a lot of adversity both on and off the field. On the pitch, we had a few players, who suffered from nagging, recurring injuries, but thanks to the strength of our bench, we persevered,” she said. “But overall, the captains set the tone for the season before anyone even stepped on the field for preseason practice. It was team-first (all the time with them) that quickly developed into the unwavering support for one another.
“The returnees also helped cement this philosophy by bonding with their new teammates, while making sure everyone felt included, and somebody was listening to them,” she continued. “I couldn’t be prouder of these players for overcoming all the challenges on and off the pitch, which they did with resilience, grace, a strong team mentality and a genuine love for each other.”
Their actions on the pitch then demonstrated how much they cared for each other after scoring an astounding 54 goals this year, while giving up just 15.
Sophie Shapiro led her teammates in goals with 12. Emma Kiernan was next in line with eight. Ashley Mitchell chipped in with six. Lilly Ossen and Audrey Houllahan tallied five apiece.
Shapiro was also the assist leader with 13. Mitchell setup eight scores, and was followed by Juliet Semmes with five helpers.
But scoring goals and winning games was not as important as being together with another this fall.
“Losing to Concord-Carlisle went beyond the fact that we were eliminated from the state tournament,” Ross said. “As much as that final game stung, the loss really meant that we will no longer be together every day as a family, and that alone brought the tears. That’s the biggest void for all of us to overcome right now.”
Joe McConnell is a longtime, award-winning sports editor for numerous North Shore publications. He began covering Winchester sports for the News last November.
