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At the halfway point of its season, the Winchester High girls soccer team (8-1-1) is cruising along with a steady offense that has already scored 28 goals and a good defense that has given up just five goals.
The Red & Black have won their last six games, dating back to the Sept. 23 Melrose game, when they shutout the Red Hawks, 4-0.
Since then, they shutout both Wakefield (Sept. 29) and Lexington (Oct. 1) by identical 2-0 scores, followed by more wins over non-league Concord-Carlisle (1-0, Oct. 3), Watertown (6-0, Oct. 5) and Reading (4-1, Oct. 7).
Coach Michelle Ross credits the all for one, one for all approach for their success.
“What continues to define this team is our unity, selflessness and family-first mentality,” she said. “Only 10 games into the season, and we have already had goal-scoring contributions from 14 of the 18 healthy players on the roster, which demonstrates that team philosophy.”
Ross went on to say that her team is committed to “playing for each other,” while adding, “there are no stars and no egos on this team. They have just one collective goal of developing, competing and supporting one another on and off the pitch.”
The team has been consistently winning to date, despite losing six to graduation and two more to private schools last year, and the credit, according to Ross, goes to the four captains, and the rest of the seniors on the roster.
“Captains Sara Stewart, GG Fantini, Emma Kiernan and Sophie Shapiro, along with (their senior classmates) Amelia Homes and Amelia Burke have set the (winning) tone,” Ross said. “They have created a positive, competitive and supportive environment, where each and every player feels valued. They lead with grit, humility and a relentless work ethic that inspires their teammates daily.”
There have been a number of tests that have led to so much success, including a 2-0 loss to host Masco on Sept. 17.
“We knew it was going to be a difficult game, not just based on Masconomet’s talent, but also its grass field,” Ross said. “While we dictated the pressure and controlled possession, we were not able to penetrate Masconomet’s defensive layers or beat (its) goalie. We conceded their first goal on a counterattack, just after we hit a crossbar and had a rebound cleared off the line.
“Soccer is a game of moments and inches, and we let the frustration of not finishing our scoring plays get the better of us,” she continued. “I believe we have learned from that, and now know how important it is to remain focused.”
The Winchester girls then enjoyed a great game against Middlesex League rival Lexington at home on Oct. 1 after tying them, 1-1 at its place on Sept. 19.
“We responded (well) to that earlier tie with a 2-0 victory on goals by Amelia Holmes and Ashley Mitchell,” said Ross.
But the veteran Winchester coach thought that the biggest test of the season so far came against aforementioned non-league powerhouse Concord-Carlisle. She says that they are “a fast, tactical team that’s known for their disciplined play, but we battled them fiercely, and were still able to play our style of soccer. We connected on passes quickly, and were also able to switch fields to open up lanes to use our speed (on offense). We peppered their keeper, who still came up with amazing saves until captain Emma Kiernan beat her from 30 yards out.”
The team has played 10 games, and has already picked up six shutouts. Considering Stewart is the lone returning starter on defense that in itself is a “remarkable achievement,” said Ross, who went on to say of her senior captain, “Sarah has been instrumental in leading our less experienced defenders like Lila Roeder, Solana Murphy and Sophia Zuniga. Sometimes we play a three-back system, opposed to having four back, and Sara’s experience has helped her defensive teammates seamlessly switch between the two systems.”
The Red & Black is currently seeded seventh, according to the Oct. 9 MIAA Division 1 power rankings. In their eight remaining regular season games, they will be playing a number of Top 10 squads just like themselves, starting with Saturday night’s home game (Oct. 10, 6:30 p.m.) at Knowlton against top-ranked Bishop Feehan (8-0-1).
After welcoming Burlington to Knowlton on Monday, Oct. 12, for a 5 p.m. game, Belmont (7-2), the fifth seed in D-1, will be up next two days later for a home game once again at Knowlton at 4:15 p.m. The Winchester girls will then close out the week versus fourth-seeded host Wellesley (6-1-2) on Saturday, Oct. 17, at 2 p.m.
Joe McConnell is a longtime, award-winning sports editor for numerous North Shore publications. He has been covering Winchester sports for the News since November 2024 and is currently its Sports Editor. He can be reached at editor@winchesternews.org.
