The Newtown-New Fairfield Rebelhawks hockey team punched its ticket to the SCC-SWC semifinal round Wednesday, March 4, when they faced top-seeded Brookfield, Bethel, Danbury, Immaculate. Despite a strong effort, NNF fell 4-0 in a hard-fought matchup.

Senior goaltender Carter Bisson was a standout in net, recording 28 saves against one of the conference’s top offenses and keeping the Rebelhawks within reach throughout the contest. Bisson, late in the season, reached a major career milestone, surpassing 1,000 career varsity saves. The achievement marks a significant accomplishment for the senior netminder and highlights the consistency and leadership he has provided the Rebelhawks throughout his varsity career.

The program also celebrated several conference honors this week. Senior Jack Meade was named First Team All-SWC, recognizing his outstanding season and impact on the ice. Fellow senior Colby Cheneski earned Second Team All-SWC honors, giving the Rebelhawks multiple players recognized among the conference’s top performers.

Behind the bench, Head Coach Mike Campbell was recognized for the team’s success this season, earning SWC Coach of the Year honors.

While the conference tournament run has ended, the Rebelhawks’ season continued. NNF turned its focus to a Division III State Tournament game on the road against the Hall Titans of West Hartford on March 9. The No 12 Rebelhawks fell 5-2 to the No 5 seed, ending the season.

Hall jumped out to a quick start, scoring two early goals to take control of the game. The Rebelhawks responded just minutes later on the power play. The puck movement started with Andrew Stango, who fed Cheneski at the point. Cheneski quickly moved it across to Ryan Schmidt at the opposite point, and Schmidt fired a shot through traffic that found the back of the net to cut the deficit.

Despite the momentum from the power play goal, Hall added two more goals before the end of the first period to take a 4-1 lead into the intermission. The Titans extended their lead with another goal in the second period, making it 5-1.

The Rebelhawks continued to battle until the final minutes. With just over five minutes remaining in the game, Meade created a scoring opportunity with aggressive forechecking that forced a turnover in the offensive zone. Meade gained space in front of the net and buried the Rebelhawks’ second goal of the night.

While the result brought the season to a close, it also marked the final game for the team’s seven seniors. The group helped lead the Rebelhawks to a memorable campaign that included appearances in both the conference tournament and the CIAC state tournament. Their leadership and dedication leave a lasting mark on the program.