Newtown High School's hockey team, coming off a 3-2 loss to New Fairfield-Immaculate of Danbury in the South-West Conference Division III tournament semifinals at Milford Ice Pavilion on March 2, will begin D-III state playoff action on Monday, March 7. The Nighthawks will host Housatonic-Northwestern at Danbury Ice Arena, beginning at 8:10 pm.

The Nighthawks are seeded seventh in the bracket, and Housatonic-Northwestern is the No. 10 team. The winner of this first-round clash will face either second-seeded Woodstock or No. 15 Sheehan of Wallingford in the quarterfinals on March 10.

Newtown (which has a record of 11-9) lost 7-3 to Housatonic-Northwestern (10-9-1) in the regular-season finale, in Danbury, on February 24.

In their January 13 matchup with New Fairfield-Immaculate, Newtown was beaten 5-0. The Nighthawks had an impressive turnaround in the rematch, before falling in the SWC tourney. Scott McLean and Lucas O'Brien scored for the Hawks in the 3-2 setback.