Saugus High School Fall Sports Roundup: Volleyball fighting to the finish, field hockey surging, Sewell having career season

By Dom Nicastro

The Sachems are closing out October with emotion, momentum and postseason dreams alive across several teams. Volleyball and field hockey are clawing for tournament position, while girls soccer rides its late-season firepower and a milestone chase.

Field Hockey: two wins and a new look spark late-season surge

Saugus field hockey found its stride with two key victories, shutting out Everett 3-0 and Danvers 1-0.

Against Everett, Angelina Dow scored twice and Sydney Ferreira added one goal while also assisting Dow on a corner. The Sachems generated 16 shots and 17 corners in the win.

“Everett’s goalie was amazing and made it hard to score,” head coach Julie Champigny said.

In the win over Danvers, Saugus broke through on a corner goal from Julia Strout, assisted by Teaghan Arsenault. The new 3-3-3-1 formation has helped improve connections and stick-to-stick passing, Champigny said. Dow and Ferreira made key defensive stops, while goalie Jordyn Ripley-Deminski made numerous saves to preserve the shutout.

Hannah Strout impressed at left midfielder, and Audrey Comeau’s pressure fueled the attack. Saugus stood at 7-9 after 16 matches, fighting to finish .500 by winning its final two games. If they do, they will be postseason-bound.

Volleyball: Emotional senior week and tournament chase

The Saugus volleyball team is heating up at the right time, improving to 8-10 after wins over Stoneham and Everett. Head coach Mikayla Niles said her squad battled top-tier teams like Marblehead and Swampscott before regrouping with two gutsy performances.

And because of it, they have found themselves with a shot at the postseason: just needing to win their final two games this week.

“Marblehead is number one in our conference — they’re phenomenal — but it was a great learning experience for us,” Niles said. “Swampscott was a back-and-forth battle. Both those losses showed we can hang with the best.”

The Sachems followed that with five-set and three-set victories over Everett and Stoneham. Junior standout Aiyana Cruz was unstoppable, recording 46 attack attempts, 17 kills and only six errors in the Everett win. Against Stoneham, she served 19 straight points to clinch a 25-4 set win.

“She was lights out,” Niles said. “Those little details — like serving consistency — are what we stress every day, and it’s paying off.”

Senior Megan Xavier added several key blocks and kills, while freshman middle hitter Ava Foley continued her breakout campaign.

Saugus entered its final week of the regular season needing to win out to make the tournament. The team’s home stretch includes Senior Night against Gloucester — a special moment for Niles, who began her high school coaching career with this senior class.

“I’ve coached these girls for four years straight,” she said. “We started our journey together, and it’s bittersweet to see it end.”

The Sachems wrap up with their annual Dig Pink match Thursday against Lynn English, to help raise awareness on Breast Cancer Awareness month. Wins in both would punch their ticket to the postseason.

“We’ve been cold and hot,” Niles said, “but we’re hot at the right time.”

Girls’ Soccer: Sewell nears 100 as Sachems roll Winthrop

The Sewell sisters continue to light up the scoreboard for Saugus. In a 7-1 win over Winthrop, Shalyn Sewell scored three goals with an assist, while Shawn Sewell added a goal and two assists to reach 97 career points.

Selena Garcia assisted her older sister Maria for her first goal of the season, and Sydney Deleidi and Natalie Justice each added a goal.

“We dominated the game and controlled possession most of the time,” head coach April Martinez said.

At 97 points, Shawn Sewell was just three shy of becoming the program’s next 100-point scorer, a mark she’s likely to hit this week as the team pushes for a division title and postseason berth.

“We have a tough schedule ahead and need to win the rest of our games,” Martinez said. “But this group has shown they can play with anyone.”

Boys’ soccer: Battling depth challenges late in the season

The boys’ soccer team hit a rough stretch, losing 6-0 to Bishop Fenwick and 2-1 to Peabody while battling injuries and a thin roster. Head coach Josh Crespo said six JV players were called up for the Fenwick match.

Saugus, now nearing the end of its regular season, faces Swampscott, Northeast Metro Tech and Triton in its final stretch.