WINCHESTER – With her team’s season on the line, Winchester’s Ashley Mitchell knew she needed to step up.

The freshman found open space, received a pass from teammate Sophie Shapiro, and fired the ball into the back of the net to lift No. 6 Winchester to a 3-2 double overtime victory over No. 26 Beverly in the first round of the MIAA Division 1 girls soccer tournament.

“I knew that we needed to score, and I saw Sophie get the ball,” Mitchell said. “So I made the run, stayed composed and took the shot.”

The tally allowed the Red and Black (14-2-2) to avoid the upset from a Panthers team (12-4-2) that played above its ranking. Winchester had taken a 2-0 halftime lead, but a goal midway through the second half cut the deficit to one and then a header from Panthers sophomore Mackenzie Pouli

See Full Page