Landau scores hat-trick—

Nighthawk Hockey Team Wins Twice

By Andy Hutchison

The Newtown High School hockey team improved to 5-2 with a pair of home wins, 8-0 over the Shepaug-Litchfield-Wamogo team on January 13 and 4-2 over Norwich Free Academy on January 16, at Danbury Ice Arena.

David Landau scored a hat-trick in the 8-0 win and the Nighthawks, behind 27 saves by freshman goaltender Mike Allwein, overcame an early deficit to knock of NFA for their fourth win in their last five tilts.

Newtown had lost its previous game 5-1 to New Milford on January 6. In their five wins overall, the Nighthawks have outscored teams a cumulative 27-5.

Newtown Coach Paul Esposito is happy with the wining ways, but looking for more consistency from his team in each game. The coach said his team has been sharp at times, but come out flat in some of the games.

In the win over Shepaug-Litchfield-Wamogo, Newtown led only 2-0 after two periods before — sparked by a coaching staff pep talk during the second intermission — breaking out offensively in the third.

“We gave them an ultimatum that they either skate in the third period or we’ll be skating in practice,” said Esposito, alluding to some intense all-out skating drills.

The players responded and put six pucks in the net in the final 15 minutes.

Landau, assisted by Josh Branchflower and Hunter Dolyak, scored twice in the first period. The Nighthawks blew the game open in the final period thanks to six different players lighting the lamp. Brett Klein, assisted by Hunter Dolyak, made it 3-0. Evan Issacs scored a goal set up by Tyler Hanley and Parker Rodbell. Dolyak notched a goal set up by Alex Kelly before Landau’s unassisted tally gave him a hat-trick. Rodbell was assisted by Issacs and Matt Vitti and Branchflower capped off the scoring on a net-finder set up by Dolyak and Kelly.

Goaltender Dylan Deselin only needed to make five saves to earn the shutout as the Nighthawks dominated throughout this game and put 36 shots on goal.

In addition to Landau having a great game, Dolyak — with a four-point performance on a goal and three assists — was a standout who had a breakout game, Esposito said.

“He’s a key setup man,” the coach said.

In the win over Norwich Free Academy, which had only eight skaters due to slew of injuries, Newtown again came out flat and fell behind. NFA carried a 1-0 lead into the second period before the Nighthawks reeled off four goals to seize control. Landau got things started on a goal assisted by Sean Kennedy. Branchflower scored a power play goal set up by Vitti, and Vitti scored a goal of his own, assisted by Issacs. Brandon Logel, assisted by Landau, got Newtown’s fourth tally of the night. Allwein got the win as Newtown outshot NFA 36-29.

Esposito was particularly impressed with the play of Vitti and Logel. “They brought the team back to life. They started off the [second] period with some good physical play,” the coach said.

In the NFA game, newcomer Rob Norling, a transfer from Immaculate of Danbury, made his NHS game debut after sitting out a month because of transfer rules. Norling brings a strong physical presence to the lineup, Esposito said. His arrival to game action, after practicing with the team since the start of the campaign, will be key since Newtown has been playing without Ted Benoit, also a physical player who has been sidelined with a broken finger.

Newtown was scheduled to take on Joel Barlow in a no-conference battle on Wednesday (after The Bee sports section went to press). The teams will meet again on February 3 in a game that will count in the SWC standings. Newtown will face Masuk in Shelton on Friday, January 22, at 5 pm, and will have a quick turnaround with a makeup game against Windsor-East Granby the next night in Danbury at 6 pm.

Senior Patrick Shirley will perfrom the national anthlem prior to the game.