Newtown High School's boys' lacrosse team, behind a strong defensive effort and patience on offense, defeated visiting Fairfield Ludlowe 6-3 at Blue & Gold Stadium on April 29.

The Nighthawks built a 5-1 halftime lead and cruised to victory in this nonconference clash. Newtown's possession domination and patience with the ball helped the Hawks seize control.

"When you hold the ball for as long as we did in the first half you tire their defense out," Newtown Coach Scott Bulkley said. "I think our patience really benefited us."

Tucker Garrity had two goals and two assists, Scott Bauer scored twice, Colin McCaffery notched a goal and an assist, and Mark Hall added a net-finder. Layton Harrell also piled up numerous shots as the Hawks pressured the Ludlowe goal.

Newtown improved to 6-5 overall and carried a 3-1 South-West Conference mark into Wednesday's visit to SWC Division I leader Joel Barlow of Redding, beginning at 6:30 pm. Ludlowe, an FCIAC team, which six times has held opponents to five or fewer goals, fell to 4-5 overall.

Close defenders Tyler Rising, Cayden Dunn, and Sean Wallace, along with long stick midfielders Matt Bucci, Matthew Dubois, and Alek Budd kept the pressure off Newtown goaltender Mason Colon, who only had to record a couple of saves to keep his team in front for the duration.

Newtown saw its lead trimmed to 5-3 in the fourth quarter before Bauer capitalized on Ludlowe pulling its goalie out of the cage to help pressure Newtown's attackmen like a defender in a desperation move in the final minutes.

The Nighthawks, following the Barlow game, will host Simsbury, in another out-of-conference matchup at Blue & Gold, on Saturday, May 6, beginning at 6 pm. The Hawks still have to play SWC foe New Fairfield, which is unbeaten through ten contests, as well as SWC D-II leader Masuk of Monroe, and Glastonbury, a nonconference team that is unbeaten against Connecticut squads. These games, Bulkley and company hope, will help strengthen the defending SWC champion Hawks as they prepare for the postseason.

"We're playing smart and if you continue to play smart you continue to get better," Bulkley said.

The Newtown coach was honored by his players at midfield for his 100th career high school coaching victory, which Bulkley picked up in Newtown's visit to Brookfield on April 18.