UPDATE: The championship game has been scheduled for Saturday, March 27, at Bennett Rink in West Haven, starting at 1 pm.

MILFORD — The Newtown-New Fairfield co-op hockey team edged Milford 3-2 in the SCC/SWC tournament semifinals, at Milford Ice Pavilion, on March 25. With the win, the Nighthawks advance to the Saturday, March 27, title game.

Newtown-New Fairfield will take on Brookfield-Bethel-Danbury (BBD) at a site to be determined. The championship schedule lists a 1 pm start, subject to change. Traditionally, West Haven’s Bennett Rink hosts the championship, but Danbury Ice Arena is the home rink to both finalists, so coaches were lobbying for the pinnacle battle to be played in the Hat City, according to Newtown Coach Paul Esposito. BBD overcame Masuk of Monroe 5-3 in the other semifinal contest.

Eddie Faircloth broke a 2-2 deadlock with a wrist shot from the high slot with 10:20 left in the third period.

The Nighthawks made the goal stand up despite three late Milford power plays, including a five-minute major assessed to Newtown-New Fairfield with 4:16 left. Strong penalty killing by Phil Makris and goaltender Markus Paltauf helped stymie Milford.

Milford, which came back from coronavirus protocol quarantine just before the postseason, jumped out to a 1-0 lead. Newtown-New Fairfield evened the score late in the first period when Cam Gouveia was set up by Ronan McAllister.

Newtown-New Fairfield scored the only goal of the second period and carried a 2-1 lead into the third. Milford tied things on the power play 2:22 into the final stanza.