NHS Hockey Team Alive In D-III Playoff Hunt

By Andy Hutchison

The Newtown High School hockey team has not won consecutive games this season, but the Nighthawks still entered their final three contests of the year believing that they could win them all and sneak into the Division III State Tournament.

“The intensity level is there for us. Nobody gives up on the team,” said head coach Paul Esposito, adding that three wins to end the year would give his team a 7-11 record and put it in the playoffs.

The Nighthawks defeated the Bethel/Brookfield co-op at the Danbury Ice Arena on Wednesday night 2-1 in the first of those last three.

Making the playoffs could become a reality if the Hawks play up to their ability and get the bounces in their favor.

Senior captain Francis Oggeri scored Wednesday’s game-winner with just 1:45 remaining in the third period. Senior assistant captain Max Beitel, who scored Newtown’s first goal of the game, assisted the decisive tally.

Newtown had a 1-0 lead through two periods after Braeden Conlan and Mark Poeltl assisted Beitel. Bethel/Brookfield tied the game with three minutes to play in the third. Newtown sophomore goaltender Dylan Deselin made the necessary saves to help the Hawks to victory. Newtown was aggressive and played well defensively in this must win game.

The Hawks missed what seemed like a good opportunity to earn a much needed win when they lost to St Joseph at The Rinks At Shelton on Monday night. St Joseph is an up-and-coming team that also had just five games, including a 5-2 result over Newtown in January — a game the Hawks had a chance to tie in the latter half of the third period before the game got away.

This time, St Joseph scored four third period goals to skate off with a 7-1 victory, dropping the Hawks to 4-11 this season. Trailing 2-0 in the second period of the rematch, the Nighthawks started piling up the scoring opportunities, but could not put the puck past goaltender Zach Carrano. Oggeri was denied and senior Matthew Wright hit the post. The goose egg remained on the Nighthawks’ side of the scoreboard until after St Joseph built a 3-0 advantage. Conlan set up Tucker Gross to trim the lead to 3-1 heading into the third, but the Hawks could not get any closer.

“We had plenty of scoring opportunities in the second period,” Esposito said.

Esposito was satisfied with his team’s forechecking, but that wasn’t enough. “We’re just not capitalizing,” he said.

The Hawks only had 18 shots on goal in this game, but most were from close range.

There were times in the clash with St. Joseph in which the Hawks looked good, especially when they a physical game. When the Hawks skate with a little edge and play the body more they seem to be at their best. Against Bethel/Brookfield, Newtown was aggressive from the start and it paid off.

“We have to come out hitting every game because that’s what throws the other teams off their game,” Wright said. “We’re not a finesse team so that’s what we’ve got to do.”

The Hawks have two games remaining. On Saturday they visit Joel Barlow at 7:10 pm. On Wednesday they host Housatonic at 7:50 pm in the finale (both games are in Danbury).

Newtown defeated Barlow in overtime and lost to Housatonic in early season meetings.

Both are games Wright said he believes his Hawks can win.

“We just want to have fun the last few games. We’re obviously trying to get wins but we want to have fun and play hard,” Beitel said.