Small in numbers, Newtown High School’s hockey team looks to have a big season. Despite the smallest roster Coach Paul Esposito has had, with only 16 players, the coach’s goal is for a return to the postseason.

“We have a good core group. We don’t have the numbers, but I like the group we have — they all seem ready to compete,” said Esposito, adding that the players worked hard training, weight-lifting, and playing in leagues and camps during the offseason.

Newtown lost nine players between graduation (seven) and players opting to play travel hockey, leaving a lot of holes but also plenty of opportunity for returnees and newcomers to step up and step in — and make an impact as the Nighthawks compete in the Division III of the Southern Connecticut Conference/ South-West Conference. Newtown went 8-11-1 and reached the D-III state tournament quarterfinals a year ago.

“We’re going to have to battle out for points this year,” said Esposito, adding that it is tough to gauge what other teams will bring to the playing surface in a given year due to cooperative teams gaining new players and some programs, like his, losing skaters to travel programs.

Esposito said he expects the co-op of Joel Barlow of Redding-Weston-Abbott Tech to be tough given that it returns a lot of firepower. Masuk of Monroe is always a challenging opponent, the Brookfield-Bethel-Danbury co-op (last year’s SWC D-III runner-up), and Sheehan of Wallingford (last year’s SWC D-III champion and D-III state runner-up) are other likely tough foes, the coach anticipates.

Newtown brings back goaltender Markus Paltauf.

“He kept us in a lot of games last year, and we expect him to keep us in a lot of games this year,” Esposito said.

“We’re going to build from the back this year,” the coach said.

Newtown’s defense comprises Adam Kliczewski, Eli Kirby, Phil Makris, John O’Sullivan, Carter Ballard, and Adrian Wadhwa.

The forwards are Jack O’Connell, Matthias Paltauf, Jack Stanton, Matthew Berard, Tyler DiMartino, Collin Hoffman, James Celentano, Wiley Harris, and Edward Faircloth.

Newtown’s season begins with three straight home games at Danbury Ice Arena. The first puck drop is when the Newington co-op visits on Wednesday, December 18, at 7:40 pm. McMahon-Norwalk skates into Danbury on Friday, December 20, at 4 pm, and Trinity Catholic of Stamford visits on Friday, December 27, at 5:30 pm.

Among the notable games is a Thursday, January 2, visit to Wilton at Ridgefield’s Winter Garden Rink. Newtown beat Wilton 7-2 in last year’s state playoff opening round after the teams played to a 3-3 tie during the regular slate.