By Steve Bigham

After a long layoff due to rain, the Newtown High School boys’ soccer team is now back in business, and, most would agree, looking better than ever.

The Nighthawks raised their record to 4-0 Tuesday night with a 2-0 shutout win over Bethel under the lights at Blue & Gold Stadium. The locals have suddenly become the team to beat in the South West Conference, although it still needed to get by defending conference champion Joel Barlow (5-1) in a game scheduled for Thursday night (after press time).

Newtown would probably be 6-0 by now had its games against Stratford and Weston not been postponed. The last time Newtown started 6-0 was in 1999 and its next game – against Joel Barlow – resulted in a loss.

Newtown, which had four early-season games postponed due to rain, entered the month of October having to play 12 games in 24 days. SWC playoff action is slated to begin Saturday, October 27. Right now, coach Brian Neumeyer’s club would have to be one of the favorites, especially after having outscored its opponents 20-2 through the first three weeks of the season. Junior Mike Troy has scored 12 of those goals. He has scored four goals twice, three goals once, and netted the game-winner Tuesday night against Bethel.

After opening the season with an impressive 5-1 win over Jonathan Law September 12, Newtown remained idle until last Wednesday, September 26 when it defeated Kolbe-Cathedral, 5-0, in Bridgeport. It upped its record to 3-0 this past Saturday morning with an 8-1 thrashing of New Fairfield on the road.

In Tuesday’s win over Bethel, the Nighthawks struggled through a scoreless first half before peppering the visitors’ goal in the second half. Troy opened the scoring for Newtown a third of the way through the second half with a fine move along the end line. With two defenders on him, the junior forward used a little shake and back to get around them, then blasted a shot past the goalie from the right side.

Freshman Nick Mentassana wowed the crowd with his play Tuesday and his fine effort midway through the second half led to the Nighthawks’ second goal. Mentassana used his speed to beat his defender down the right sideline, turned the corner and ripped a shot on goal. The goaltender managed to knock it away, but Ryan Tracy was there to hit it home.

Goaltender Matt Pachniuk, who was forced to make several first half saves, said his team may have come out too over-confident early on. Bethel (2-3) is not off to its best start ever. Also, Ryan Tracy suffered an ankle sprain early on and sat out most of thee first half. That allowed Bethel to tightly mark Troy.

Speaking of Troy, the team’s leading scorer was doubtful for Thursday’s game against Barlow after receiving a second yellow card late in the game and an ejection usually requires a one-game suspension. Troy received his first yellow after kicking the ball after the whistle had blown. The second came after he inadvertently kicked the Bethel goalie in the head while trying to score. On the play, it did not appear as if the referee saw what happened. However, he pulled the yellow after the Bethel players complained.

Pachniuk made a fine save off a penalty kick in the waning moments of the game.

“We’re the team to beat so every game we play will be like the World Cup finals to our opponent. They’re going to be after us and we have to be prepared,” said Pachniuk, an all-state selection a year ago.

On Saturday, Newtown scored early and often to put the Rebels away. Troy continued his scoring barrage with four goals and an assist, while Ryan Tracy added two goals and two assists. Marcus Tracy noted two assists, while Jake Rouse and Matt McFadden each scored a goal and Derek and Brian Miles each recorded assists.

Last week’s win over Kolbe featured a Troy hat trick, two Ryan Tracy goals and three Marcus Tracy assists. Ryan Tracy and Troy also added assists in the blowout win.