NHS Girls’ Lacrosse Team Favorites For Another Title

By Andy Hutchison

Newtown High School’s girls’ lacrosse team, the five-time defending South-West Conference champions, will try to make it six in a row beginning with the South-West Conference Tournament quarterfinals on Saturday (Blue & Gold Stadium at 12:15 pm) and — if everything goes according to plan — continuing with the semifinals on Tuesday (7 pm at New Fairfield) and concluding with the championship on Friday, May 28 (5 pm at Brookfield).

The Nighthawks went into the regular-season finale against Joel Barlow on Wednesday (after The Bee sports section went to press) unbeaten in the conference and 14-1 overall.

Newtown, which has made winning look easy in all but a select few contests this spring, is coming off three more lopsided wins this past week: A 20-11 scoring outburst at Bethel on May 12, a 16-5 thumping of New Fairfield on May 14, and a 19-9 drubbing of Immaculate in Danbury on Monday.

In the win over Bethel, Lisa Vendel erupted for a mind-boggling 12 points on eight goals and four assists. Kaitlin Brophy wasn’t exactly easy to contain either. She netted six goals (another game — another two hat-tricks). Meghan Bridges was the playmaker with six assists, Katie Canavan had three goals and a pair of assists, and Erin Kenning scored twice for the Nighthawks.

Goaltenders Celeste Cheung (six saves) and Jill Jagoe (three saves) shared net-protecting duties in this game.

Another game … another blowout. Newtown reached the 16-goal plateau for 12th time this spring in the 16-5 win over New Fairfield. Brophy led the way with four goals and an assist. Vendel scored twice and added three helpers, Erin Brown had a big game with three goals and an assist, Emma Kingsley scored twice and added two assists, and Bridges had a pair of tallies and three assists.

Against Immaculate, Vendel and Bridges both had five goals. Brophy added four and had two assists, Canavan scored twice, and Meaghan Carney found the net once and set up a pair of goals. Cheung made ten saves.

No matter which team(s) Newtown faces in the SWC tourney, the Nighthawks have to like their chances. Newtown’s closest SWC game — in terms of goal differential — was the 17-9 win over Brookfield back on April 16. Newtown has outscored opponents 255-102. Vendel had 62 goals, and Bridges and Brophy had 46 and 44, respectively, heading into the Barlow game.