The Newtown-New Fairfield hockey team earned a 6-2 win over conference rival the Milford Mariners at Milford Ice Pavilion on February 4, setting the tone early and pulling away.

The Rebelhawks wasted no time getting on the board as Jack Meade scored just 17 seconds from the opening puck drop off a pass from Andrew Stango, with Jackson Molison picking up the secondary assist. Milford responded quickly, tying the game at 1-1 before taking a 2-1 lead on a power play goal. The Rebelhawks answered before the end of the first period when sophomore Ethan Freylikhman netted his first high school goal. Freylikhman finished a pass from Colby Cheneski, who found him from behind the net; Noah Kirshner earned the secondary assist after a hard shot rebounded to Cheneski. The first period ended with the score tied at 2-2.

About four minutes into the second period the Rebelhawks grabbed the lead for good. Ryan Schmidt’s aggressive forechecking forced a turnover, leading to a two-on-one opportunity. Schmidt slid the puck to Andrew DeMarco, whose shot created a rebound that Schmidt cleaned up to make it 3-2. The assist marked DeMarco’s first high school point, and that goal would stand as the game-winner.

The Rebelhawks continued to build momentum in the third period. Meade struck again on an almost identical play to his first-period goal, finishing another feed from Stango, with Logan Coster earning the other assist. With under 90 seconds remaining, the Rebelhawks put the game away with two late goals. Cheneski sealed the win with an empty-net goal, and Jackson Molison capitalized on a turnover, poking the puck past the goalie with under a minute to play.

In net, Carter Bisson was outstanding, turning aside 38 shots and standing tall as a brick wall to secure the victory.

Newtown’s scheduled game with E.O. Smith on February 7 was postponed and played on February 10. The team battled hard but came up just short 2-1 in overtime. Grayson Pimentel scored the lone goal, finishing off a strong play with an assist from Stango. The offense generated opportunities throughout the game but faced tough resistance from E.O. Smith’s defense. Bisson delivered an outstanding performance, turning aside 30 shots and keeping the Rebelhawks in the game with several key saves under pressure. Despite the disappointing overtime result, the effort and compete level were evident from start to finish.

JV Rebelhawks were in action on February 7 and earned a hard-fought 4-2 win over Ridgefield JV. Ridgefield struck first in the opening period, but the Rebelhawks answered early in the second. Andrew DeMarco tied the game at 1-1 with a snipe off a feed from behind the net by Schmidt, with Pimentel picking up the secondary assist.

Newtown-New Fairfield grabbed the lead on the power play when Gavin Hull redirected a shot from Kirshner into the net. DeMarco earned the secondary assist on the go-ahead goal. The Rebelhawks kept the pressure on as Schmidt made it 3-1, finishing a strong pass from Freylikhman with a quick shot in front of the net.

Ridgefield responded late in the second to cut the deficit to 3-2 heading into the final period. With Ridgefield pressing and the goalie pulled, Kyle Lewis sealed the win in dramatic fashion. Skating down players serving penalties, in a six-on-three situation, Lewis fired a shorthanded empty-net goal from the corner of the defensive zone with under a minute remaining.

Between the pipes, Coster delivered a steady performance, coming up with several key saves to keep the Rebelhawks in control. The victory showcased the Rebelhawks’ determination, teamwork, and resilience as they battled through adversity to capture their first JV win of the season.