Newtown High School’s boys’ lacrosse team went to the fourth quarter knotted up at 4-4 with the visiting New Fairfield Rebels on a rainy April 15 night. The rain fell hard, but the Rebels poured it on even more in the final stanza on the way to a 9-4 triumph.

The Nighthawks trailed 4-3 midway through the third until getting even, before the Rebels seized control.

Recognizing that New Fairfield is one of the top teams around and that a majority of his team was in quarantine throughout preseason because of coronavirus protocol, Newtown Coach Scott Bulkley was still as upset with his players as they were wet following this one.

“You can’t beat anybody unless you sacrifice your own ego and play team lacrosse,” Bulkley said. “In the fourth quarter, we just made really bad mental errors.”

Turnovers and penalties contributed to New Fairfield’s late-game dominance.

Brandon Manka scored twice, Colin Breslin and Mark Sokk each scored once, Tanner Trede assisted two goals, and Manka added an assist.

The Rebels were winners of two straight Class M state titles and three consecutive South-West Conference championships before last spring’s coronavirus-caused season hiatus. Any such matchup is a potentially beneficial one for a team looking to tune up for the postseason; the Nighthawks have another meeting scheduled against the Rebels on May 8, but Bulkley is not looking that far ahead.

“I’m looking forward to getting back to practice tomorrow,” the coach said.

Newtown bounced back with an 8-1 win over the host Brookfield Bobcats on April 19. Jake Bulkley had two goals, picked up nine ground balls, and caused five loose balls. Connor Breslin had two goals and an assist, Manka had a goal and two assists, Trede notched a goal and an assist, and Ryan Ruddy netted a goal. Shaine Luzietti logged a goal, five ground balls, and five loose balls caused. Goaltender Jake Dandrea made nine saves.

The Nighthawks blanked the visiting Bunnell of Stratford Bulldogs 19-0 on April 20. Manka had six goals and an assist, Bulkley scored three goals and had two assists, and Trede scored four goals. Connor Breslin netted two goals and two assists, Ruddy logged a goal and trio of assists, Colin Breslin had a goal and three assists, Sokk had a goal and one assist, and Austin Cameron, Matt Jacobs, and Luzietti each had one goal. Dandrea made nine saves.

“We are getting better each day and slowly finding an identity. The more days we get under our belt, the better I think we will become,” Bulkley said.