Nighthawks Rolling Despite Improved SWC Competition

By Andy Hutchison

The South-West Conference, according to Newtown High School girls’ soccer coach Marc Kenney, is tougher than ever. If that’s the case, the Nighthawks have to feel pretty good about themselves. After all, the Hawks are 4-0-1 to start the campaign.

“By and large I’m ecstatic,” Kenney said. “We’re playing really well. People are fitting into their roles.”

The coach said most of the conference foes, much like the Hawks themselves, are reloaded with a bulk of returning talent from last year’s team. Newtown edged Pomperaug 2-1 on Saturday and had their hands full in a 1-1 tie with Lauralton Hall earlier in the season. The Hawks opened the season with a 3-1 win over Brookfield, handled Oxford 5-1 and beat Immaculate 4-1 in game in which the score is somewhat deceptive (Newtown pulled away in the second half).

“Top to bottom, the league is much better,” said Kenney, adding that in past seasons the Hawks had their way with opponents pretty frequently. “Now we have to fight.”

“It’s good competition but we’ve been doing really well — we’ve been coming out strong,” senior midfielder Brittany Papaj said.

The reason the Hawks have done so well is that, like the league, the team is good — top to bottom. “We have some depth, and in the past that hasn’t always been the case,” Kenney said.

That depth was helpful, if not essential, when an early-season rainout forced the team to embark on a hectic schedule: four games in six days.

“You can’t expect your starters to go for 80 minutes times four. That’s too much,” Kenney said.

With most of last year’s 14-win (regular season) team back on the field, and given the strength of Newtown’s bench, expectations are high. Kenney doesn’t want his players to look past any opponents, however.

“I think the thing we really need to focus on is expecting everyone’s best game,” the coach said.

“We all have high hopes but we just have to take it one game at a time,” senior defender Jen Brewer added.

Newtown, following Thursday’s game at Bunnell (after The Bee went to press), will host Bethel Friday at 3:45 pm. This game marks a rematch of last year’s SWC semifinals, won by Bethel in penalty kicks. After visiting Stratford on Monday and hosting Notre Dame-Fairfield a week from Friday, one of the anticipated toughest tests of the season will take place October 4 when NHS visits always tough Masuk.