It took all of 19 seconds for Newtown High School’s field hockey team to answer visiting Bethel’s game-tying goal early in the second half of a September 29 Senior Night showdown under the lights at Blue & Gold Stadium on September 29. Newtown went on to tack on another tally on the way to a 4-2 win.

The Nighthawks held a 2-1 halftime lead only to see the Wildcats knot the score at two apiece with less than three and a half minutes out of the halftime break. The Nighthawks responded with senior Kayla Locke’s solo effort, a run up the middle capped by a strike to the back of the cage, for a 3-2 lead with 10:13 to play in the third quarter.

That was a big goal to swing the momentum quickly back into Newtown’s favor.

“Huge — especially for Kayla on Senior Night to take it into her own hands and determine the outcome,” Newtown Coach Megan Goyda said. “That’s the kind of player she is.”

The Nighthawks added another goal when Evelynn Schoen finished a nice give-and-go passing play with Emily O’Neil off a penalty corner insert from Locke early in the third quarter.

Lucia Romano and Madi Slater had first-half goals. O’Neil finished with two assists and Charlotte Grasso also had an assist. Newtown had a 13-6 penalty corner advantage as the forwards created numerous chances throughout the game.

Goyda noted that O’Neil, Schoen, Mandie Faircloth, Romano, Slater, and Locke all had solid games helping the Nighthawks to an important win coming off a 3-0 setback at Pomperaug of Southbury on September 24.

“To go from none to four is a huge momentum shift for us,” said Goyda, whose team will look to maintain wining ways against South-West Conference foes as the teams compete for playoff positioning.

It was a hard-fought battle with Bethel.

“The game got very physical but we kept our cool,” said Goyda, adding that the Hawks used their strength, and their speed, to overcome the Wildcats.

Seniors Romano, Corynn Hettenbach, Jiavanna Yammo, Slater, Locke, Faircloth, and Emma Chappa were recognized.

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