NHS Boys’ Booters Edge Rival Barlow 1-0; Girls Top Weston 5-2

Newtown High School’s girls’ and boys’ soccer teams kept up their winning ways this week — each earning a win and a tie. The boys, after playing host Weston to a scoreless deadlock on October 1, edged their biggest rivals, Joel Barlow of Redding, 1-0 at Blue & Gold Stadium on Tuesday night.

The NHS girls toppled visiting Weston 5-2 on October 1 and tied host Barlow 1-1 on Tuesday afternoon.

Both squads have been red-hot since game one of the campaign. The boys, after a 2-1 season-opening loss to Pomperaug of Southbury, have gone unbeaten in six consecutive games to improve to 5-1-1 heading into Thursday’s visit to New Fairfield (after The Bee went to press). The girls, meanwhile, carried a 7-0-2 mark into Thursday’s home game with New Fairfield.

Ryan Dunnigan, who lifted Newtown over Masuk of Monroe with a long-range shot to break a second-half tie on September 27, did it again against Barlow. Dunnigan blasted the ball into the net with about 15 minutes to play to propel the Nighthawks to the win. NHS goalkeeper Austin Puleri made three saves to earn the shutout.

The boys, on Tuesday, October 11, will host Bunnell of Stratford in a rematch of last year’s South-West Conference tournament game win by the Bulldogs. The game begins at 7 pm under the lights at Blue & Gold Stadium.

Newtown’s girls got a hat-trick from Amy Martin in the win over Weston. In addition to Martin’s three-goal effort, the Hawks got one each from Sarah Lynch and Bridget Power. Maddy Keane scored the lone goal in the tie with Barlow. Keane put the ball into the net on a free kick from approximately 35 yards out just 40 seconds into the game. The Newtown defender also scored on a free kick from about 35 yards out to lift the Hawks past Masuk 1-0 on September 27.

The girls play the first of three straight road games at Bunnell on Monday, October 10, and return home, to Treadwell Park, to face Lauralton Hall of Milford on Monday, October 17, at 4 pm.