WINCHESTER – Motivation has been there all year for the Winchester field hockey team to get back to the Div. 1 Final Four, and finish with a different ending.

Tuesday night’s 2-1 win over No. 12 Bishop Feehan in the Div. 1 second round brought the fifth-seeded Red and Black (17-3) one step closer, overcoming a true challenge.

Shamrocks goalie Emma Mitchell (26 saves) played phenomenally and the defense challenged Winchester all game in a low-scoring affair, despite allowing 13 corners. Junior midfielder Joyce Chen scored on one for a halftime lead, and sophomore forward Ellie Drake belted an insurance goal late in what proved the game-winner after Bishop Feehan answered with 1:28 left.

Winchester awaits the winner of Wednesday’s matchup between No. 4 Lincoln-Sudbury and No. 13 Attleboro in the state quarterfinal round. The Shamrocks (9-10-1) fought to the very end.

“It was a great game,” said Red and Black head coach Michelle White. “One of the things was, it was a very physical game. I think sometimes that can be detrimental to our attitudes. … One of the differences for us – they just stayed in the game and did the things that had to do. We had a ton of opportunities, and we continued to push.”

“We practice all of this every day, and we’ve really been going at it all season,” added senior defender Madison Von Mering. “I’ve lost to Walpole twice in the playoffs now. I’m hungry to get past (the Final Four), and I think the seniors definitely are too. … (The underclassmen) see how much we want it, and I can tell they all want it (too).”

Scoring was at a premium the whole way, despite Winchester applying what normally is an overwhelming amount of offensive pressure.

White gave Mitchell a shoutout postgame for her performance, while freshman Courtney Lawrence, senior Clare Latham and junior Alexa Logan each made signature plays.

Corners racked up to nine in the first half before Winchester finally potted one. Madelyn Rabinovich chased down a clear attempt at the left wing, sent it to Chen in front, and she reverse-scooped it into the net with 2:34 left in the half for a 1-0 lead.

Aside from Chen’s goal, strong midfield play from Providence commit Sam Gal, junior Stella DeChristoforo, Chen and Rabinovich anchored the lead – orchestrating much of the attacking pressure while limiting dangerous transitions.

Bishop Feehan still generated several promising threats in response working through 100-point scorer Jordi Higgins for many of them. Winchester’s defense did well to cut off lanes in the circle and keep Higgins’ threats to the outside, and it didn’t allow more than one corner until the fourth quarter.

One of those threats came in the second quarter, with Higgins firing a reverse chip off Isabella Bogovich (four saves) that rolled in open space in front. Von Mering stepped up to clear that rebound, and worked well with Addison Aufiero and Elsie Katz to keep the Shamrocks’ attack at bay.

“The forwards did their job,” Von Mering said. “And I think as the backs, every time (Bishop Feehan) came down, we’re just like, ‘We’ve got to do ours. They did theirs, we’ve got to keep up our end.’ (Aufiero and Katz) had some great sticks, stopped the balls when we needed them too.”

Drake, who did well to draw a few corners and help pace the attack in numerous threats, buried a drive off the back board for a 2-0 lead with 4:01 left to play.

“She is just figuring it out,” White said. “With that kid, it’s like, one little change just elevates her game so much. … She’s really coming into her own, I think.”

Bishop Feehan responded by generating a few corners, and Ryann Logan tipped in a goal with 1:28 left to cut the deficit in half. The Shamrocks came down the field again in an attempt to tie it, but Winchester held off the charge.