Nighthawk Girls’ Lacrosse Pulls Away Against Brookfield, Falls To Wilton

By Andy Hutchison

After defeating Cheshire by five goals and crushing Notre Dame-Fairfield and Bunnell of Stratford a cumulative 39-8, the Newtown High School girls’ lacrosse team finally appeared to have its hands full against Brookfield. Newtown, however, broke open a close game en route to a 17-9 win at Treadwell Park on a chilly, wet April 16 afternoon.

It was a close game throughout the first half and Newtown carried an 8-6 lead into the intermission before grabbing control in the third quarter. The teams traded goals in the opening minutes of the second half before Newtown broke open a 10-8 lead, outscoring Brookfield 7-1 the rest of the way.

Newtown Coach Maura Fletcher said her team settled down and the game started to move in favor of Newtown at about the time of a timeout late in the first half. Fletcher said she called a timeout after her team started to string some goals together and noted that it’s not always the best time to call a timeout when a team is doing well, but that she wanted to let the players know they were playing well and should keep it up.

Brookfield’s early-game scoring success, the coach said, can be attributed to the Bobcats’ speed and offensive skills, and also Newtown’s lack of control on offense.

“We really weren’t taking care of the ball offensively,” Fletcher said.

That all changed following the timeout and throughout the second half, during which the Bobcats mustered just three goals.

“The offense did a great job of controlling the ball and our rides were unbelievable in the second half,” defender Annie Fletcher said. “Our defense really picked up the communication and the teamwork, and it really paid off.”

Newtown’s attack players kept attacking the net and grabbed control of the game behind the efforts of Lisa Vendel who had six goals, Meghan Bridges who scored five, and Kaitlin Brophy who netted four.

“They’re a really aggressive team,” Brookfield Coach Kary Rodgers said.

The Nighthawks improved to 4-0 to begin the season, but then lost to Wilton, 13-9 in a nonconference battle on Monday.

“I was extremely disappointed with the way we played today. It was like we were intimidated,” said Fletcher, adding that her team is capable of beating Wilton.

The coach scheduled the game with what is one of the FCIAC’s better teams, and often among the state’s top teams, in an effort to improve her squad as it works its way toward the playoffs. Fletcher gave the Wilton defense credit for pressuring the ball and not allowing the Hawks to run their offense.

“They beat us in transition and had way too many fast break opportunities that they took advantage of,” the coach added.

NHS goaltender Celeste Cheung made 13 saves in the losing effort.

The Nighthawks were scheduled to visit Weston on Wednesday (after The Bee sports section went to press) and host Stratford on Thursday. Newtown goes back on the road to visit Masuk in Monroe on April 26 and comes back home to entertain New Milford on April 28 (7 pm on the grass at Blue & Gold Stadium).