Success is sometimes about more than wins and losses — but all the better when a team can not only find the kind of attainment that does not show up in the standings, such as hard-working reserves getting a starting nod, but also pick up the W.

Such was the case when Newtown High School’s boys soccer team had a special Senior Night celebration and concluded the evening with a 2-0 blanking of Immaculate of Danbury at Blue & Gold Stadium on October 3.

With a baker’s dozen seniors on the roster and only 11 starting positions, NHS captains and regular starters Noel McLeod and Ryan Payne sat for all of their classmates who typically are available off the bench to have their names announced as starters.

“It’s not just our Senior Night — it’s theirs, too,” said Payne, adding that it was a great opportunity for friends of the captains to have a chance to start.

“We’re always in the spotlight but they’re just as important as we are,” added McLeod, alluding to the players’ contributions and hard work both in practice and in games.

The special night sacrifices made by McLeod and Payne are an example of the close-knit, team-first group the Nighthawks have this fall.

“It tells you what kind of special group this is,” Newtown Coach Ryan Lyddy said.

The starters on this night were goalkeeper/captain James D’Amico, along with Daniel Tzakas, Cooper Williams, Ny’Cere Patterson, Stephen Singlak, Teddy Moxham, Landon Dorsey, Noah Kooper, Jeffrey Prout, Kade Dearney, and Mason Czaplinski.

Every senior got some quality minutes of game action in this one, Lyddy noted.

Newtown scored both of its goals in the opening half. A senior connection started the scoring less than 12 minutes into the matchup. Dorsey deposited a cross from the left side by Payne and, just three-plus minutes later, Malakai Ortner assisted Prout.

The Nighthawks piled up more scoring chances but settled on the two goals — not a problem with D’Amico coming up clutch with a diving penalty kick save 11 minutes into the second half. D’Amico said he tries to read his opponent’s eyes and body language to guess which way the shot will go, and he certainly figured it out on this attempt with a nice leap to his left for a save that helped the Nighthawks pick up their eighth shutout this fall.

Newtown, having suffered only one loss this season, had a challenging matchup when 11-0 Weston visited on October 7, but the Nighthawks handed the Trojans their first loss in a 2-0 outcome. Prout and Kooper scored, and Ortner and Payne had assists. D’Amico and the Hawks have shut out nine opponents and improved to 10-1 overall.

“Huge win,” Lyddy said. “Great program win.”

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