Newtown High School's boys' lacrosse team may be having a bit of an up and down season in terms of wins and losses, but the Nighthawks - all things considered - are making strides, coach Scott Bulkley believes.

The Nighthawks, who are a mostly inexperienced group at the varsity level, carried a 6-5 overall record (2-2 in South-West Conference play) into their final five contests of the regular campaign.

The Hawks built a 13-0 halftime lead en route to a 19-0 triumph over visiting and winless Notre Dame-Fairfield in the rain at Treadwell Park on April 28.

In the first half, Scott Bauer netted five goals, Matt Meyers had three goals and three assists, Mark Urso scored twice, and Evan Eggleston, Elliot Gregory, and Peyton Manning all scored.

"I think we're very, very close to turning the corner and becoming a very good team," Bulkley said after the game.

"They're unselfish and they moved the ball well," the coach added.

In Newtown's next game, a tough nonconference matchup on the road against Guilford on April 30, the Hawks fell 15-5. But the Hawks returned home and got back on track in an 8-6 win over SWC foe New Fairfield at Blue & Gold Stadium on May 2, in what Bulkley called his team's best game to date.

Newtown's defense was stout behind Gordon Walsh, Charlie Fletcher, Andrew Svanda, Cayden Dunn, Chad Azzarito, Sean Wallace, Steve Faxlanger, James Carney, and Matthew DuBois, the coach noted. Goaltender Dave Anderson was tremendous in cage with ten saves. Urso won 11 of 17 faceoffs and added a goal off one of his wins. Jared Pearson scored three goals, Meyers had two goals, and Colin McCafferty and Manning each added a tally. Tucker Garrity had three assists and Pearson had a pair of assists.

Four of Newtown's final five regular-season tilts are against out-of-conference competition - including two unbeatens, Glastonbury and Simsbury, and one-loss squad Staples of Westport.