Oooh –

In the second game of a volleyball match with Notre Dame last Friday, senior captain Stephanie Logan fires off six topspin serves that were not only unstoppable (which is putting it mildly), they were downright vicious.

Aaah –

In a 4-0 boys’ soccer win over New Fairfield on Tuesday, Marcus Tracy – in what amounted to little more than magic – somehow maneuvered a ball through a crowded penalty box and blistered a shot into the net.

Oooh –

In a South-West Conference football game with Bunnell last Friday at Blue & Gold Stadium, Newtown surprised just about everyone (there were a lot of people there) by opening the game with a perfectly executed pseudo-onside squib kick.

Aaah –

In that boys’ soccer win over New Fairfield on Tuesday, Matt McFadden popped his noggin up on a corner kick and headed a ball into the net … and moments later nearly did it again, only to see the ball carom off the cross bar.

Ooohs and aaahs – it’s the beauty of sports.

Boys Soccer Back In

Hunt After First Loss

 

Although the 1-0 loss to Pomperaug last week was the first regular season defeat the Newtown High School boys’ soccer team has had to contend with in three years, the Nighthawks were not about to let it bug them all that much.

Of course, a three-game winning streak would certainly help to relieve whatever anxiety there might have been.

With wins over Jonathan Law (8-0), Weston (1-0) and New Fairfield (4-0), the ‘Hawks pushed their record to 8-1-1. On Tuesday morning, they found out they were ranked sixth in Connecticut in The Hartford Courant poll and ninth in The New Haven Register poll … despite the loss.

“We haven’t had to regroup after a regular season loss in a long time,” said head coach Brian Neumeyer, “but it’s not going to bug us at all or affect what we’re trying to do … which is win a conference championship. All we’re looking to do is play well enough to win late in the season.”

Two days after falling to Pomperaug, the locals jumped ugly with Jonathan Law. Rodrigo DeSouza scored a pair of goals and assisted on another to lead the ‘Hawks to the 8-0 win. Marcus Tracy added two goals while Matt McFadden and Ryan Keogler each chipped in with a goal and an assist.

Ben Trigal and Brian Conroy also scored goals as Matt Taylor, Brian Miles, Mike Nastri, Noah Kugielsky and Marc Doherty all registered assists. Goaltender Andrew Fiscella made just one save on the afternoon.

Last Saturday, the ‘Hawks slipped past Weston, 1-0, as Keogler scored the only goal off an assist from Tracy. The ‘Hawks outshot the Trojans, 19-6, and Fiscella was forced to make six saves.

And on Tuesday, Tracy scored two more goals to lead the ‘Hawks to the 4-0 win over New Fairfield. McFadden and Justin Miller also scored while Fiscella – the goaltender – registered an assist off a booming punt from the penalty box. DeSouza also had an assist.

“We’re still trying to find ourselves as a group, our style of play, our personality,” said coach Neumeyer. “This is a different team, but there is a lot of talent out there, a lot of positive energy, and everyone can contribute.”

The ‘Hawks were set to host Bunnell on Thursday at the complex behind the high school. The ‘Hawks will travel to New Milford on Tuesday and Joel Barlow next Friday.

Running Out Of Steam

On Homecoming

The Newtown High School football team sure had a lot of fire the ol’ collective belly after recovering a perfectly placed squib kick to open its South-West Conference football game with Bunnell last Friday.

And even though recovering the squib led to a 32-yard field goal by Ross Coates, the fire was slowly doused and the Nighthawks ended up on the short end of a 21-3 score, dropping their record to 0-4 on the year.

After recovering the kick, the ‘Hawks opened their first drive on the Bulldogs’ 35. They drove down to the 15, but stalled there. Coates came out to smash a low, line drive kick through the uprights and give the ‘Hawks a 3-0 lead.

The lead held up through the first period, but in the second the ‘Dogs started to rally.

Touchdowns by Sean Murray (keyed by a fourth-and-15 pass play) and Daryl Staley gave the ‘Dogs a 14-3 lead at the half. In the fourth quarter, Bryan Skowronski grabbed a seven-yard pass from Murray for the final score.

Once again, the ‘Hawks had a little trouble moving the football. Just 72 yards of total offense – all of that on the ground (they attempted just three passes) – were all they had to show for a tough effort on Homecoming Night.

Kyle Kirch handled the bulk of the workload, rushing for 58 yards on 21 carries. Ben Bagaglio rushed for 19 yards on seven carries and sophomore Marc Ingerman, subbing for injured quarterback John Collins, rushed for just five yards on 14 carries (the result of being caught in the backfield on a few pass plays).

The ‘Hawk will be in New Milford on Friday for the traditional Boot game. Kick off is 7 pm.

Volleyball Team Finds

Its Groove

An easy win over New Milford on Tuesday afternoon may have been the win that finally pushed the Newtown High School volleyball team to the break even point (that being 6-6 overall, 6-3 in the South-West Conference), but it was the thrilling 3-2 win over New Fairfield last week that really made the difference.

Stephanie Logan had 16 kills, seven digs and eight blocks as the Nighthawks defeated the Lady Rebels 16-25, 25-17, 22-25, 25-22, 15-12. Paula Wickman had three blocks and seven saves while Lisa Morgan came up with three digs and registered 21 assists.

It was a huge win for a team that opened the 2003 season at 0-4.

With the impetus of that victory, the ‘Hawks moved on to pummel Notre Dame on Friday, 3-0 (25-23, 25-13, 25-9). While a little sluggish in Game 1, the ‘Hawks soon found a groove and breezed through to the finish.

Logan carried the ‘Hawks in the early stages of Game 1, but in Game 2 unleashed a brutal assault, victimizing the Lady Lancers with six vicious topspin-heavy serves. She finished with eight aces and 12 skills. Wickman, who carried the ‘Hawks through the middle stages of Game 1, finished with seven kills and two blocks. And Morgan chipped in with 20 assists and three aces.

In the win over New Milford (25-13, 25-5, 25-21), Logan had 10 kills, two blocks and five more aces. Diana Grimaldi chipped in with three kills and two digs while Ali Kemsley – one of the Nighthawks’ steadiest servers – fired off five aces.

The ‘Hawks were at Bunnell on Wednesday (after press time) and will travel to Bridgeport on Friday to take on Kolbe-Cathedral. They will remain on the road next Wednesday, October 15, for a bout with Jonathan Law and will return home on Friday, October 17, for a late afternoon match with Bethel.

Tack On Two More

For Swimmers

After that incredible win over Lauralton Hall back on September 30, it seemed almost anti-climactic that the Newtown High School swim team had to continue with the remainder of its 2003 dual meet season.

And so it seemed like a rather ho-hum thing when the Lady Nighthawks crushed archrival Weston last week (105-76) and Jonathan Law (106-66) this week to push their unblemished record to 8-0.

Of course in reality, a win over Weston is never a ho-hum affair. Being one of the top teams in the conference for many years, the Lady Trojans became an archrival to a lot of teams – like the Nighthawks.

In the win on Friday, Liz Gugino (200 freestyle), Abby Atkinson (200 individual medley), Amy Robinson (100 freestyle), Sally Tabler (500 freestyle) and Maricate Conlon (100 backstroke) were all individual winners. The 200 medley relay (Conlon, Atkinson, Jen Cupero, Robinson) and the 200 freestyle relay (Gugino, Liz O’Connell, Lauren Kotwicki, Sammi Howe) teams were also winners.

The ‘Hawks also had some fine finishes from Jen Iassogna (second place – 200 free), Carol Ann Smith (third place – 200 individual medley; second place – 100 back), Robinson (second place – 50 free), Howe (third place – 50 free), Wendy Borst (third place – diving), Iassogna (second place – 100 fly), Cupero (third place – 100 fly), Margaret Randall (second place – 100 free), Sarah Harmonay (second place – 500 free), Sarah Hemingway (third place – 500 free) and Gugino (third place – 100 back).

The names were a little different, but the results were pretty much the same on Tuesday against Jonathan Law. The ‘Hawks took first in every event in which they swam officially, with Tabler (200 free), Smith (200 individual medley and 100 free), Atkinson (50 free), Kim Mayers (diving), Conlon (100 fly), and Robinson (500 free) grabbing the individual wins. The ‘Hawks were in control immediately, sweeping the 200 medley relay to start off with a 14-0 lead.

The ‘Hawks also swept the 50 free, 100 fly and 200 free relay events.

The ‘Hawks will have a challenge on their hands Friday (Senior Night) when Pomperaug comes to visit. The ‘Hawks won’t return to water until the following Friday, October 17, when they travel to Flood Junior High School in Stratford to take on Bunnell and New Milford.

The dual meet season will conclude on Thursday, October 23, with a visit to Masuk.

Girls’ Soccer Slams NF,

Remains Undefeated

 

The Newtown-New Fairfield girls’ soccer rivalry used to be a tough one (remember that SWC quarterfinal loss a few years ago?), but New Fairfield has taken a step back and that was evident on Tuesday as Newtown eased its way towards a 5-2 win.

The Lady Nighthawks pushed their record to 10-0-1 on the year.

Chelsea Morin – the cobwebs all cleared after she suffered a concussion in a win over Pomperaug last week – scored a pair of goals and assist on another. Alex Konneker added a pair of goals while Casey Frobey had a solo. Becky Corrigan, Frobey, Rachel Vontobel and Maggie DeMarco all had assists.

Goaltenders Kim Allen and Jess Halloran needed to make just three saves combined.

The ‘Hawks slipped past Weston, 2-1, last Saturday as Mary Anders – usually anchoring the defense – scored a pair of goals. The offense was dominating, unleashing 17 shots (five of those caroming off the crossbar). Weston had just one shot and Allen was not forced to make any saves.

The day before, the ‘Hawks crushed Jonathan Law, 7-0, as DeMarco and Anders scored two goals apiece and Carrie Lipnick registered three assists. Corrigan, Tara Gaston and Frobey also scored while Konneker, Frobey, Corrigan and Gaston registered assists.

Allen, earning her sixth shutout of the year, needed to make just one save as the ‘Hawks outshot Law, 23-1.

The ‘Hawks will travel to Stratford on Friday to meet archrival Bunnell and will return home next week for games against New Milford on Tuesday, October 12 and Joel Barlow on Thursday, October 14 (Senior Night).

All three games will kick off at 7 pm.

Good Efforts, But Two

Losses For Field Hockey

 

The Newtown High School field hockey team may have dropped to 2-5-2 on the year with losses to Pomperaug and Immaculate this past week, but the coaching staff will be taking some solace in the fact that the Lady Nighthawks played tough against two of the best teams in the South-West Conference.

The ‘Hawks fell, 3-0, to perennial powerhouse Pomperaug last Friday. The Lady Panthers, presently undefeated at 9-0, scored two goals in the first half (one on a virtually unstoppable shot) and added one in the final second of the second half.

Jenny Urfer was strong in front of the cage, stopping 15 shots with some often fancy footwork. Meg Regnery was a presence all over the field while Amanda Hadgraft and Cat Williams tried to bolster the offense.

On Tuesday, in a 2-1 loss to Immaculate (presently 6-3-1), Williams scored first off an assist from Amanda Shevlin to put the ‘Hawks on top, 1-0. The lead held up through the end of the first half, but the Lady Mustangs rallied in the second with goals from Katie O’Connor and Kyna Evuen.

The ‘Hawks had just three shots on goal and five penalty corners. In contrast, the Lady Mustangs had 13 shots and 21 penalty corners.

Urfer made 11 saves.

The ‘Hawks did secure their second win of the season, though, back on Thursday. Hadgraft scored a pair of goals as the locals nipped Weston, 2-1. Williams and Regnery both logged assists while Urfer made five saves.

Weston scored the initial goal with just five minutes gone in the first half, but Hadgraft scored about eight minutes later to tie the score. She added her second goal with seven minutes left in the second half.

The ‘Hawks were set to host Bethel on Thursday under the lights at Blue & Gold Stadium and will host friendly cross-state rival Haddam-Killingworth on Saturday at Treadwell Park (start time will be 3 pm). The ‘Hawks will travel to New Fairfield on Tuesday, October 14 and New Milford on Thursday, October 16.

Girls X-C Continues To

Dominate

 

After suffering a loss to Joel Barlow in the season-opening meet (a loss engendered, perhaps, by a lapse in strategy), the defending SWC champion Newtown High School girls’ cross-country team has been unstoppable.

The Lady Nighthawks pushed their record to 14-1 on Tuesday afternoon with a comfortable sweep of Pomperaug (18-45), Bunnell (17-46) and Bethel (15-50). The ‘Hawks not only took the top two spots (Carolyn Brennan in first and Sadie Ball in second), but grabbed seven of the top 10 spots.

Brennan finished at 16:46 and Ball followed at 17:08. Rounding out the top 10 for the ‘Hawks were Laura Reid (fourth place – 17:36), Moira Collier (sixth place – 18:13), Caitlin Thursland (seventh place – 18:22), Leah Herity (eighth place – 18:30), and Caitlin Weber (ninth place – 18:39).

Emelye Neff finished 13th, Kelly Collier finished 14th, Ellen Reid finished 16th and Liz Ericson finished 19th for the ‘Hawks.

The girls will be at the Wickham Park Invitational in Manchester on Saturday in preparation for the South-West Conference championship on Thursday, October 16 (in Bethel).

Boys X-C Nipped By

Pomperaug

 

The Newtown High School boys’ cross country team has definitely earned itself a spot in the upper echelons of the South-West Conference – of that there can be no doubt – but the competition is tough in that rarified air.

Newtown was nipped by Pomperaug on Tuesday afternoon, 29-26. It was only the second loss the Nighthawks have suffered this year. Coupled with easy wins over Bethel (15-50) and Bunnell (15-50), the ‘Hawks moved to 12-2 on the year.

The Panthers are 13-1.

And New Milford, which beat the ‘Hawks earlier in the year, is 14-0.

Peter Dittmar was the top Newtown finisher, earned third place overall at 17:38 – about 45 seconds behind Brendan McNeish and 22 seconds behind Ted Varga, both of Pomperaug. While the Panthers took three of the top four slots, the ‘Hawks loaded up the back end as Chris DeRoo came in fifth at 17:57, Alister Ratcliff came in sixth at 18:04, Jay Schunter came in seventh at 18:12, and Phil Zencey came in eighth at 18:16.

Jake Sullivan (12th place – 19:05), Charlie Baldour (13th place – 19:08), Doug Bonjour (16th place – 19:20), Ryan Kraft (17th place – 19:26), Eric MacKnight (19th place – 19:32) and Jon Larsen (20th place – 19:35) had fine races.

The boys will be at the Wickham Park Invitational in Manchester on Saturday in preparation for the South-West Conference championship on Thursday, October 16 (in Bethel).