The Newtown-New Fairfield hockey team traveled to Milford Ice Pavilion on January 15 and pushed the Milford Mariners, a top-five Division III state opponent to overtime before falling 4-3.

This contest was the most complete game of the year put together by Coach Michael Campbell’s young squad and ended up one of the more spirited as well. The Nighthawks came out ready to play with a more physical and relaxed style of play. Milford jumped out to the lead with a power play goal about five minutes in. A resilient NNF squad answered just about a minute later when Greyson Pimentel tucked one in off a rebound of a Colby Cheneski snapshot from the point for Pimentel’s first high school goal.

Milford struck back with only minutes to play in the first off another nice rush and drive to the net. The period ended with Milford forcing the play and scoring again, in the final minute of the opening period. With NNF trailing 3-1 entering the second Campbell encouraged the boys to tighten up the defense and support each other and goaltender Carter Bisson. That they did; with an excellent effort and solid team play and defensive zone coverage, the Hawks limited Milford to a lone shot in the second period. The defensive prowess however didn’t translate to offensive firepower and the period ended up being a stalemate with no one lighting the lamp.

The third period saw the Nighthawks battle back. NNF capitalized on a power play midway through the final period with Junior Jack Meade banging one home off a goal-mouth scramble setup after repeated attempts by Ryan Schmidt and Andrew Sanchez. Three late penalty calls tilted the ice in the direction of the home squad but the Hawks killed off the beginning of a five on four Milford advantage and a prolonged five on three advantage that ended with Patrick Moody taking a chip from Quinn Harris and flying up the ice in front of the player benches and unleashing a blast from the top of the circle that tweaked the twine high just under the bar for the shorthanded equalizer with 55 seconds to play.

Moody’s clutch tally sent the bench and crowd into a frenzy. In the OT period the Hawks had several good chances to close it out including a scramble in front that just eluded the stick of a Nighthawks forward that would have sealed it. Unfortunately for the Hawks, on the ensuing rush a nice Milford spin move led to the game-winner, a five-hole shot through the outstretched pads of Bisson. A bittersweet loss but perhaps a steppingstone for the foundation being laid for the team. Bisson made 15 stops in the loss.

The Hawks headed to the University of Connecticut campus in Storrs to battle with D-III leader E.O. Smith-Tolland on January 18 and fell 8-1. This was a battle of the one-win Hawks and the one-loss Bucks and for a while it appeared as if the improbable was indeed on the menu. Jackson Molison put the Hawks on the board first with a strong finish from the slot putting a one timer through the wickets of the Bucks’ goalie. The play was set up by Mike Risoli and Jack Meade on a nice tic-tac-toe passing play. Unfortunately for NNF, the lead was short-lived as the Bucks tied the score before the period ended.

E.O. Smith-Tolland chipped away to take the lead early in the second and never looked back. In the second and third period the Bucks methodically extended their advantage. Bisson started for NNF, and his strong play, including 26 saves, kept the coaches optimistic early. Campbell was liberal with his substitutions in the final period making sure all players got to experience the feeling of playing in a D1 college arena. Kaylee Awrachow came in late in relief and turned back three of five shots.

The JV Hawks played a modified game versus the Bethel, Brookfield, Danbury, Immaculate (BBDI) squad at Danbury Ice Arena on January 16 and fell 2-1. The game was played in two halves as is mostly customary for the unofficial, JV games. BBDI took the lead on a blast early and added a second goal in tight on a rebound opportunity taking the 2-0 lead into the second half. Ryan Schmidt cut the deficit in half taking a pass from Pimentel while spinning out of the corner and then firing a knuckle puck high past the blocker of the screened goaltender. Try as they might, the Hawks just couldn’t find the one to tie as they created some opportunity but misfired wide several times with the goalie out of position.