By Kim J. Harmon

Okay, the bitter cold did seem to finally seep in this week (Monday at around 7:30, perhaps) but with the bitter cold comes the warm anticipation of another exciting postseason as one team has already claimed a South-West Conference championship and three more teams have legitimate claims on their own.

4The swim team – aided by a victory over powerhouse Lauralton Hall back on September 30 – is hoping to finish off an amazing undefeated dual meet season on Thursday in Monroe.

4The girls’ soccer team – which battled Masuk on Wednesday night for the No. 1 seed in the playoffs – had (at press time) just one loss and one tie and enough ability to overcome Joel Barlow and Masuk for the title.

4The boys’ soccer team – which will spend a week or so on the field without its top scorer, Marcus Tracy – suffered a loss to Pomperaug and a tie with Brookfield but remains one of the favorites to win a title.

Last fall, the Newtown High School sports program earned three SWC championships.

Maybe this year it can do one better.

‘Hawks Soar Despite

Loss Of Tracy

If it looked like the Newtown High School boys’ soccer team was working extra hard on Monday night at Blue and Gold Stadium, it was.

The Nighthawks had to take on a good Bethel team (8-4-1 entering the match) without dynamic scoring sensation Marcus Tracy. As if that wasn’t bad enough, Matt McFadden also spent most of the game on the bench nursing an ankle injury.

Still, the ‘Hawks – thanks largely to the efforts of Rodrigo DeSouza and Marc Doherty – overcame the obstacles and shut out Bethel, 2-0. Brian Miles scored on a penalty kick with 10:19 left in the second half to snap a 0-0 tie and Doherty followed up about seven minutes later with a spectacular deke and shot inside the right post to give the Nighthawks their two-goal advantage.

“We’re not folding up the tent because we lost a couple of players … no matter who they are,” said head coach Brian Neumeyer. “We lost players at the beginning of the year, but the program still has standards and standards are standards. That’s what I keep on telling them.”

Even coach Neumeyer could not deny what the loss of Tracy could mean in the playoffs, though, saying, “Of course we will miss a guy who has scored 30 goals already. Marcus not only creates for himself, but he creates for other players.”

There was some creating goin’ on Monday night (the ‘Hawks had 27 shots on goal), just not a lot of scoring. Bethel goaltender Kevin Spaulding made a spectacular save in the first half that kept the game scoreless, but with 10:19 left in the second half McFadden was taken down inside the penalty box (the Bethel defender hitting the same ankle that had kept McFadden on the bench) and the ‘Hawks were awarded a penalty kick.

Brian Miles made the most of it, drilling the shot past Spaulding.

The ‘Hawks picked up the pace and continued to pepper the Bobcat goal. DeSouza and Doherty seemed to control the ball almost at will and it was Doherty, with an amazing ball fake, who notched the second goal with 3:53 left. Chris Hoagland was credited with the assist.

“(Doherty) is only a sophomore,” said coach Neumeyer, “but he is going to be a special player.”

Newtown goaltender Andrew Fiscella only touched the ball a few times all night, and none of those times was it a save situation. With the win the ‘Hawks improved to 12-1-1 and (after Masuk on Wednesday, of course) were looking forward to an SWC quarterfinal match on Saturday at 5 pm at Blue and Gold Stadium.

The semi-finals are slated for Tuesday in Newtown with the finals to follow on Thursday at Joel Barlow.

One More Win For An

Undefeated Season

With a team like Lauralton Hall on the schedule, an undefeated season would always seem like a pipe dream.

But when the Newtown High School girls’ swim team dispatched Lauralton Hall back on September 30, it removed – perhaps – the only obstacle it had to that magical undefeated season. With strength and depth, the Lady Nighthawks have become a formidable force in the South-West Conference.

Wins over New Milford (97-80) and Bunnell (101-79) in a tri-meet last Friday helped push the ‘Hawks to 11-0 on the year. A win on Thursday (against Masuk) was all the ‘Hawks needed to complete their remarkable regular season.

In the win over New Milford, Abby Atkinson (200 individual medley), Lauren Borusso (diving), Jen Iassogna (100 butterfly), Maggie Hemingway (100 freestyle) and Sally Tabler (500 freestyle) were all individual winners. The foursome of Carol Ann Smith, Atkinson, Jen Cupero and Sammy Howe captured the 400 freestyle relay while the foursome of Howe, Liz Gugino, Tabler and Hemingway won the 200 freestyle relay. The ‘Hawks swan the final three events unofficially.

In the win over Bunnell, Atkinson, Borusso, Tabler and Smith (100 backstroke) were individual winners. The relays won both events, as well, and the ‘Hawks swam the final two events unofficially.

The SWC championships will open on Wednesday, October 28, at Foran High School in Milford with the diving portion of the meet (diving begins at 5:30 pm, following a 4 pm warmup). The rest of the meet will follow on Saturday, November 1, at 2 pm at Foran.

Nearly 30 swimmers have qualified for the SWC meet, and many of those in multiple events.

Soccer Girls Suffer

First Loss

As banged up as the Newtown High School girls’ soccer team was, it was almost a miracle that it remained unbeaten well into October. It had to be considered a testament to the strength and depth of the team.

But the Lady Nighthawks were finally dealt their first loss – a 1-0 decision to Joel Barlow last Thursday night at Blue & Gold Stadium. The ‘Hawks rebounded, though, with a tough 2-0 win over Bethel on Monday night.

“We have had some key players out,” said head coach Rupert de los Reyes, “and I thought we would have been beaten before Barlow beat us. We have been very fortunate to have the senior leadership we have had, plus we have a lot of kids who contribute and challenge the entire group to compete at a high level.”

With a 13-1-1 record, the ‘Hawks were preparing early this week for the big showdown against Masuk (after press time).

“I’ve told the girls,” said coach de los Reyes, “it’s not what happens when you get knocked down, it’s what happens when you get up.”

When the ‘Hawks got up after their loss to Barlow, they saw a pesky Bethel team that was intent on shutting its opponents down. The Lady Wildcats managed 0-0 ties with Barlow and Masuk and was looking for much of the same on Monday night.

But Chelsea Morin scored two goals – the first just five minutes in off a corner kick – to take that strategy away from the ‘Cats. Goaltender Kim Allen made all three saves she had to make to earn the shutout. Jess Halloran chipped in with a save to help preserve that shutout.

A few days before, however, the ‘Hawks were on the low end of the score for the first time all year. It was Senior Night at Blue and Gold Stadium and history repeated itself. In the three years of coach de los Reyes tenure, the ‘Hawks have lost all three games on Senior Night.

“There was a lack of focus, which was a factor,” he said. “Plus Barlow is just getting healthy and had some kids in the lineup who hadn’t been in all year.”

Erin Davis scored the only goal of the game in the second half off an assist from Katie Hiebeck. Newtown out shot the Lady Falcons, 17-7, but couldn’t find the net. Allen made four saves on the night.

The SWC quarterfinals are scheduled for Saturday, with the ‘Hawks hosting a game at Blue & Gold Stadium at 7:15 pm. The semi-finals will be held Tuesday, October 28, at Masuk with the finals to follow on Thursday, November 30, at Joel Barlow.

Volleyball Team Right

On The Edge

 

Although the Newtown High School volleyball team has hit some low points in the 2003 season, it had the opportunity on Wednesday night (after press time) to slip into the SWC and CIAC Class LL playoffs and all it had to do was defeat 11-6 Lauralton Hall.

The Lady Nighthawks suffered a heartbreaking 3-2 loss (25-23, 9-25, 25-21, 27-29, 6-15) to Foran on Monday night. The ‘Hawks were up 2-1 and despite falling into a 22-15 hole in the fourth game, rallied back on the strength of service by Lisa Morgan. A couple of mistakes, though, doomed the ‘Hawks in that game and they went quietly in the fifth.

“Part of me expected we would have some tough times due to the inexperience on the team,” said head coach Tom Czaplinski, “but I never thought it would be as bad as this. The confidence isn’t there and we often play down to the level of our competition.”

With the loss to Foran, the ‘Hawks slipped to 8-9 overall, 8-6 in the SWC. A win over Hall on Wednesday would put the ‘Hawks in the SWC and CIAC playoffs, but a loss would banish them from the CIACs. A loss would also banish the ‘Hawks from the SWCs should Pomperaug win its final regular season match.

The ‘Hawks gave themselves a shot at all of this drama with a tough 3-2 win (23-25, 18-25, 25-22, 25-18, 17-15) win against Bethel on Friday night. Stephanie Logan fired off an incredible 16 aces and, at the same time, registered 22 kills.

But the ‘Hawks were not in this match until the crowd (at least a small portion of it) got into the match. Then the ‘Hawks were able to rally and earned the win in Game 3 with some solid play up front by Paula Wickman and blistering service by Logan.

In Game 4, Logan made two huge blocks and Morgan had a nice dink for a kill. Logan put the game away when one of her hard smashes at the net was dug up and returned right back to her for another smash.

Bethel scrambled well in Game 5, but Logan had a couple more big kills – the first at 14-11 and the second to give the ‘Hawks the match.

Should the ‘Hawks reach the SWC playoffs, it appears a Friday afternoon match is in the offing.

Gridders In 0-0 Tie

With Foran

Some expected a win over New Milford in the traditional Boot Trophy game back on Friday, October 10, would have given the Newtown High School football team a desperately needed boost … but it was nowhere in evidence last Friday as Newtown and Foran battled to a 0-0 tie.

The shining moment for the ‘Hawks was when the defense held on a fourth-and-goal from the three yard line in the first half, but that was about it. The ‘Hawks amassed just 169 yards of total offense on the night.

Kyle Kirch, who carried for a career-high 182 yards against New Milford, was limited to 54 yards on 16 carries. Ben Bagaglio rushed for 32 yards on seven carries while quarterback Josh Rouse rushed for 13 yards on seven carries.

The ‘Hawks took to the air for, really, the first time all season and Rouse went 5-for-15 for 67 yards. Brendan O’Connor caught four balls for 57 yards and John Collins (who tossed a pass on the halfback option) caught a ball for 10 yards.

The ‘Hawks, now 1-4-1, will look to rebound against Immaculate on Friday night at Blue & Gold Stadium.

Senior Night All Wet

For Field Hockey

Gosh, it seems like every time one turns around, the Newtown High School field hockey team is involved in a one-goal game. It was no different last week as the Lady Nighthawks dropped a tough 1-0 decision to New Milford.

Despite the loss (which dropped the ‘Hawks to 3-8-2), head coach Kathy Davey was especially pleased with the effort put in by her girls. It was their fifth one-goal game in a row and sixth overall this season.

The ‘Hawks are 2-4 in those games.

Cristina Gioia scored the lone goal of the game off assists from Becca Payne and Lynda Pearl. The Green Wave peppered the Newtown cage with 22 shots (the ‘Hawks managed two) and goaltender Jenny Urfer made 17 saves.

The ‘Hawks had a shot to rebound on Monday against 4-5-2 Masuk, but the rain put a damper on the affair. Although the junior varsity game was played and the ‘Hawks enjoyed Senior Night presentations, the game was finally called and may be played on Saturday morning.

The ‘Hawks were scheduled to take on Pomperaug (in Southbury) on Thursday and close out the season on Wednesday, October 29, against Shepaug.