By Kim J. Harmon

A loss is a loss, but the Newtown High School girls’ lacrosse team was showing signs last week in a 12-10 defeat at the hands of New Milford that it was on the verge of changing its so far dismal fortunes in 2003.

Sure, the loss to New Milford dropped the Lady Nighthawks to 0-5, but what was significant about it was the way the ‘Hawks rallied back from a 6-1 halftime deficit (scoring nine goals) to make it a much closer game.

And the offense was still in fine form on Tuesday, too, as the ‘Hawks exploded for 11 first-half goals enroute to a convincing 14-1 win over Notre Dame of Fairfield. Sarah Whalley scored four goals while Meg Regnery scored three to fuel that explosion. Karli Beitel and Kelly Collier had two goals apiece while Katherine McDonald, Heidi Ekstrom and Kelley Rodden all hit the back of the cage once.

Beitel, Collier and Kate Fenton assisted on some of those goals.

In the loss to New Milford last week Regnery and Ekstrom had three goals apiece while McDonald, Whalley, Collier and Brittany Boyle had one goal each.

Goaltender Jenny Urfer made 16 saves in the cage.