Locked in a close battle with visiting Joel Barlow of Redding in the rain at Blue & Gold Stadium on May 5 the Newtown High School girls’ lacrosse team found its scoring touch and pulled away in the third quarter on the way to a 15-8 win. The Nighthawks improved to 6-5 overall and 5-2 against South-West Conference opponents.

The Nighthawks got hat-tricks from four players — four goals off the stick of Natalie McLean, and three apiece by Blake Heim-Sherwood, Abby Ihlefeld, and Brooke Bulkley — and a net-finder from Nikki Kaplan.

Newtown led 6-3 late in the first half. The Falcons scored to beat the buzzer and make it a 6-4 contest heading into the break, but the Nighthawks took control with Heim-Sherwood cashing in on a turnover and McLean recording a natural hat-trick (three unanswered tallies) for a 10-4 lead less the five minutes into the third quarter. Bulkley finished with nine draw controls off McLean draw wins — a big part of Newtown’s possession game and goal-scoring success.

Barlow called timeout in an attempt to stop the momentum and scored just 12 seconds later to make it 10-5 but McLean’s fourth of the quarter gave the Hawks an 11-5 lead heading to the fourth.

Kaplan’s critical scoring area goal made it 12-5. The Falcons scored twice in a span of 27 seconds and had the ball with a chance to further cut into the deficit, but a turnover gave the ball back to the Hawks. Kaplan scored for a 13-7 lead with 2:47 left.

The Falcons scored again 20 seconds later and again had possession. But Newtown forced a turnover and put the game away with Bulkley scoring on a top-corner blast and Heim-Sherwood finishing off her hat-trick effort to cap the scoring.

Bulkley and McLean both had three ground ball scoops. Heim-Sherwood had an assist, two ground balls, and an interception; Sarah Ruddy had two ground balls and an interception; and Mo Murphy had a pair of ground balls. Goaltender Emily Sachs made a half dozen saves.

Newtown Coach Maura Fletcher liked the way her team got hungry for goals in the third quarter.

“In the third quarter they really turned it on and took care of the ball,” said Fletcher, adding that the Hawks did not play up to their level in the final stanza, something to work on going forward.

“I think we woke up in the third quarter. We have to keep it up in the fourth,” McLean added.

The team was to hold its 15 For Life activities to support awareness of mental health but due to the rain that has been pushed to Tuesday, May 13, when NHS hosts Pomperaug of Southbury. The JV will play at 5 or 5:30 pm followed by varsity at 7.

The Nighthawks were coming off an 11-7 loss at nonconference foe Cheshire on May 2. Bulkley and McLean both scored hat-tricks and Heim-Sherwood added a tally. Ihlefeld had an assist. Jen Socci and Heim-Sherwood both had three draw controls but Cheshire won that battle overall. Heim-Sherwood had an INT and Bulkley had five grounders and an INT. Sachs again made six saves.

Sports Editor Andy Hutchison can be reached at andyh@thebee.com.