The Newtown-New Fairfield Rebelhawks delivered a dominant performance, rolling past JBWA (Joel Barlow, Weston, Abbott Tech) by a decisive 6-2 final at Danbury Ice Arena on January 14. Jack Meade’s hat trick (plus an assist) and Andrew Stango’s four-point night, along with strong special teams play — including three shorthanded goals — carried the team to its first victory of the season.

“It is always a nice boost to score short-handed, especially three times in one game. We played a well-positioned penalty kill to be in the spots we needed to capitalize, and that is exactly what we did in those moments,” Coach Michael Campbell said.

One of Meade’s three goals came while shorthanded, highlighting the Rebelhawks’ aggressive special teams play. Stango was equally impactful, finishing with two goals and two assists, including a shorthanded tally of his own.

“Jack Meade and his line of Stango, Molison really stepped up — they were due for a multi-point effort. We will continue to lean on those guys down the road for some more goals. They got into dirty areas and won battles and that showed on the score sheet for them,” Campbell said.

Ryan Schmidt also scored a shorthanded goal. He not only got the defensive zone clear, but lit the lamp by firing the puck from his own defensive zone, sending it all the way down the ice and past the JBWA goaltender. Colby Cheneski, Jackson Molison, and Evan Kliczewski each chipped in with an assist to round out the scoring effort.

Defensively, Logan Coster anchored the blue line with a strong, physical game, breaking up plays and limiting JBWA’s scoring chances throughout the night. Michael Risoli and Grayson Pimentel also turned in strong performances, contributing with smart positioning, puck support, and consistent effort at both ends of the ice. Between the pipes, Carter Bisson was steady and reliable, turning aside 27 shots to secure the win.

With strong offensive depth, relentless penalty killing, and solid goaltending, the Rebelhawks put together a complete team effort in an impressive victory.

“Huge confidence boost,” Campbell said of getting the win. “Every game we are in a battle and this one was no different, but we played a complete game and got the job done against JBWA. We continue to battle from start to finish and more games will swing our way.”

The Rebelhawks dropped a hard-fought 3-1 decision to the Wilton Warriors at Ridgefield’s Winter Garden Ice Rink on January 17.

It was a tightly-contested matchup. The game opened as a defensive battle, with both teams trading chances but neither side able to break through, sending the contest scoreless into the first intermission. Wilton found the breakthrough in the second period, scoring the lone goal of the frame to take a 1-0 lead despite increased offensive pressure from the Rebelhawks.

Newtown-New Fairfield continued to build momentum as the game progressed, showing noticeably more intensity in the second and third periods. That push paid off early in the third when Stango buried the tying goal, finishing a setup from Meade to even the score at 1-1.

Wilton responded quickly, however, capitalizing on a power play opportunity to regain the lead. The Rebelhawks pressed late, pulling the goalie in search of the equalizer, but the Warriors sealed the game with an empty-net goal with just over a minute remaining.

Bisson delivered a strong performance in net for Newtown-New Fairfield, stopping 34 shots and keeping the Rebelhawks within striking distance throughout the game.

The Rebelhawks fell to 1-5-1 overall, but have been competitive, including a 6-6 tie and 3-2 setback in the mix. Injuries have been a factor, with five skaters sidelined in mid January.

“Injuries have been tough, and are part of the battle. We keep pushing to raise our competitiveness and that comes with some harsh realities,” Campbell said. “But we will continue to battle every step of the way. Our team knows what fight those injured kids have and we look to match or exceed it moving forward.”

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