DeRosa Saves Winchester Win

Sachems goalie Annie DeRosa withstood a barrage of shots Monday, as the Winchester High field hockey team defeated Belmont 2-1 at McCall Middle School.

The Sachems (3-1) were outplayed almost the entire game. They failed to communicate and passed poorly, according to coach Michelle White, but DeRosa bailed them out.

"She is hands down the reason we were able to come out on top," White said.

DeRosa, a junior, had 14 saves in the Middlesex League win, while her team only managed three shots on goal, two of which went in.

Forward Alyssa Aharonian, also a junior, scored the games first goal off a penalty corner 6 minutes, 30 seconds into the contest. Teammate Emily Savage, a sophomore, then extended the Sachems lead to 2-0 with a goal off a corner three minutes into the second half.

Down 2-0 with less than three minutes remaining, Belmont's Caroline McCarthy finally put the ball past DeRosa to pull her team within one.

Belmont (3-1) rattled off four more shots in the waning minutes but failed to convert.

"[DeRosa] was phenomenal," Belmont coach Jessica Smith said, "and we just didn't get the right touch here and there."

In addition to DeRosa, White only had one other explanation for the outcome.

"Luck," she said simply.

Kristen Weiner, Catherine Olsen and Alexis Zavez formed the last line of defense in front of DeRosa, while midfielders Emily van Seventer, Katelyn Castro, Emma Zamierowski and Angela Lombardi helped back for most of the game.