The Newtown-New Fairfield Rebelhawks had a pair of hard-fought losses at Danbury Ice Arena, falling 3-2 to STORMAC (Staples-Norwalk-Brien McMahon) on January 7 and 4-1 to Shepaug Valley on January 10.

Against STORMAC, the Rebelhawks struck first, getting on the scoreboard with a well-executed passing play. Michael Risoli started the sequence with a great pass to Grayson Pimentel, who quickly found Andrew Stango who finished the play, putting the puck in the net for the early lead.

STORMAC responded quickly, taking advantage of traffic in front of the net. Two deflected shots found their way past goaltender Carter Bisson as STORMAC seized a 2-1 lead.

The second period saw both teams battling hard, with STORMAC extending its lead to 3-1. Newtown-New Fairfield answered when Ryan Schmidt chipped the puck out of the defensive zone, allowing Jackson Molison to chase it down. Molison pressured the defender, stripped the puck, and buried the scoring chance to cut the deficit to 3-2.

Despite a strong defensive effort and continued pressure in the third period, the Rebelhawks were unable to find the equalizer. Bisson’s impressive 26-save performance kept Newtown-New Fairfield in contention throughout the game.

Although the loss was disappointing for the Rebelhawks, they showed determination, teamwork, and strong execution against a tough opponent.

Bisson had a strong performance with 37 saves against Shepaug Valley. The game was evenly played through the first period, with both teams generating scoring chances but unable to break through. The Spartans gained momentum in the second period, scoring three unanswered goals to take control of the game.

NNF responded with a goal by Stango, with Jack Meade recording the assist, but the Rebelhawks were unable to cut further into the deficit. The Spartans added an insurance goal.

The Rebelhawks continued to battle in the third period but could not overcome the gap. Stango’s goal stood as the lone offensive highlight for the Rebelhawks, who will look to regroup and bounce back in their upcoming games.

Newtown-New Fairfield begins the season with four losses and an exciting tie, 6-6 against New Milford at Canterbury School on December 17. Against New Milford, Stango and Schmidt both scored twice, and Meade and Molison lit the lamp. Meade recorded three assists, Stango assisted two goals, and Colby Cheneski recorded a pair of assists.