NHS Girls’ Lacrosse—

Nighthawks Win Two Of Three, Learn From Each Game

By Andy Hutchison

Newtown High School’s girls’ lacrosse team had three very different games this past week. It started with a scare but a 13-11 win at New Milford on April 14, continued with a 17-0 shellacking of Lauralton Hall of Milford on April 18, and ended with a 14-9 loss to defending Division I state champion New Canaan on April 19.

Newtown Coach Maura Fletcher points out that the six-time South-West Conference champion Nighthawks are going to be taken seriously by every team they face. “Those teams, the goal of their season, is to beat Newtown,” said the coach, adding that her team may not have been ready for such a close battle with New Milford. “They really played their hearts out — they played great that day,” said of the New Milford players.

Fletcher said the Hawks committed an uncharacteristic ten first-half turnovers which kept their opponents in the game. Newtown prevailed behind four goals by Kaitlin Brophy, three off the stick of Erin Kenning, and two more from Emma Kingsley. The Nighthawks were without two of their key starters, Erin Brown and Katie Canavan. Newtown, which had outscored its first three opponents a combined 46-13, remained perfect at 4-0 to start the year. The message after the game was not to take anyone lightly and for the Nighthawks to play their game from the start.

Newtown did just that in the 17-0 blanking of Lauralton, at Treadwell Park. Brophy had five goals and two assists, and Brown, Meredith Bridges, and Meghan Brophy all scored twice.

Kelly O’Connor had three of Newtown’s six interceptions. The defense was also responsible for ten caused turnovers. Newtown dominated ground balls and draw controls. The Hawks left the field with a renewed sense of confidence — perhaps too much, Fletcher thought.

Despite a four-goal effort from Meaghan Carney, Newtown couldn’t take down New Canaan at Blue and Gold Stadium on April 19. The visiting Rams built a 7-2 halftime lead and went ahead 12-3 before the Nighthawks scored four unanswered goals to make things a little interesting late in the second half. Olivia Hompe scored seven times to lead the Rams, and help hand Newtown its first loss.

Fletcher thought her team struggled early in the game against New Canaan because of the nature of the opponent from the day before.

“I think it’s easy to come off a win versus Lauralton Hall and be a little fat in your head and then come in and play against a New Canaan team that has 12 players on the field that can play with all of our players,” the coach said. “It’s still a little bit hard when you’re playing these teams that have a fair amount of lesser players on the field and they you go up against a team that doesn’t have those holes.”

Fletcher added that the Nighthawks need to improve on their settled offense. Newtown had most of its goal-scoring success on fast-break opportunities.

NHS goaltender Celeste Cheung made nine saves. Cassie Ekstrom had three interceptions, Anna Northrop had two, Kaitlyn VosWinkel had an interception and three caused turnovers, and O’Conner caused a turnover.

NHS, following scrimmages on Long Island that Fletcher scheduled during the vacation week as a way for her team to get some in-season tests, will resume regular-season play April 26 when Bethel visits Treadwell Park.