Sure, Newtown High School's boys' lacrosse team will have to overcome the graduation of a dozen players from last year's South-West Conference championship squad, but consider this: The Nighthawks had lost 17 seniors after the previous season's run to the SWC title game. Second-year Coach Scott Bulkley has the same expectations as he did heading into last spring: Win a conference crown.

"Game in and game out we want to work on things we're weak at and fix them, and build on the things we're good at," Bulkley said. "We have good young talent and they're hungry."

As was the case last spring, coming off a heartbreaking loss in the 2015 SWC championship game.

The Nighthawks have had a flair for the dramatic in recent seasons, clawing all the way back from an 11-4 deficit to force overtime before falling to Joel Barlow of Redding in the 2015 SWC championship battle, and edging Weston in triple overtime of last year's decisive game.

Bulkley, who previously coached FCIAC teams Darien and Greenwich to championships at the conference and state level, is a firm believer that defense wins titles, and the coach is optimistic about the core of D men he has back in the fold. A unique strength of last year's squad that was lost to graduation was in the faceoff circle as draw standout Mark Urso graduated. Also among the grads were goaltenders Tom Elliot and David Anderson. Newtown will also have to have some players step up on offense in the absence of leading scorer and graduate Jared Pearson.

Colin McCafferty and Matt Bucci are captains and midfielders who will help lead the team. Other strong players who Bulkley will look to for contributions include defenders Cayden Dunn, Sean Wallace, Tyler Rising, and Riley Rising; midfielders Layton Harrell, Tucker Garrity, and Evan Eggleston; and attackmen Scott Bauer, Elliot Gregory, Mark Hall, and Jacob Meyer. Goaltenders Mason Colon and Thomas Daigle were battling for the starting job as preseason unfolded this past week.

The biggest strength of the squad, as preseason gives way to the start of the regular slate, in the eyes of Bulkley, is in how well conditioned this group is. The coach said the Nighthawks are ahead of where they were in this aspect of training at this time last spring.

Bucci said that getting many young players on the field for game action last year will benefit the Hawks this year.

"We're all just coming together as a team and playing really well together," McCafferty added.

The Hawks open the season against tough nonconference foe Fairfield Prep, when the Jesuits visit Blue & Gold Stadium on Saturday, April 1, beginning at 4 pm. The Hawks will also play out-of-conference games against Guilford, Staples of Westport, Mamaroneck, N.Y., Fairfield Ludlowe, Simsbury, and Glastonbury. The Hawks visit Barlow in early May.

Newtown had a similarly challenging schedule a year ago, and went on to post an 8-8 mark before going on to capture the conference crown, then falling to Greenwich in the qualifying round of the Class L State Tournament.