By Kim J. Harmon

After watching Kyle Kirch somehow flip a pass back over his head to his brother, Casey, and then watching Casey flip an over-the-shoulder shot into the net no one would have figured the Newtown High School boys’ lacrosse team had struggled so much in its South-West Conference showdown with Brookfield.

But it had ... a lot.

Sure, the Bobcats had built up an impressive record of their own, but the Nighthawks had one of the most prolific offenses in Connecticut and only once this season had they been held to fewer than 10 goals.

At the end of the first half, though, the score was tied 5-5.

“We have been struggling to put together a consistent game,” said head coach Brian Micena.

Halftime gave Newtown a chance to regroup and refocus and Tom Ryan scored inside the first minute of the second half (off an assist from Kyle Kirch) to put the Nighthawks on top, 6-5.

Then they were off and running.

Kyle Kirch followed with a goal off an assist from Dan Mallen and then John Oliver tossed in a goal off an assist from Ryan and at the close of the third quarter the ‘Hawks had an 8-5 lead.

But it was still a game. Even after Ryan flipped a beautiful short pass to Oliver at the right post for an easy goal, the ‘Hawks were up only four. Then Brookfield – shut out in the third period – scored to trim the Newtown lead to 9-6.

It was time to put the game away.

Kyle Kirch (from brother Casey), Mike Soder, Casey Kirch, Kyle Kirch (once again from brother Casey) and Ryan (from Kyle Kirch) scored in rapid succession in an explosive fourth quarter to stake out a far more comfortable 14-6 lead.

And after Brookfield scored its final goal of the game, the Kirch brothers put the finishing touches on the win with the final acrobatic goal.

Casey and Kyle Kirch scored three goals apiece and registered four assists apiece (14 total points between the brothers). Ryan added four goals and a pair of assists while Soder and Oliver had two goals apiece. Ted Yemc tossed in a goal and Oliver had an assist.

Goaltender Chris Body had to make just six saves all night.

The SWC playoffs opened on Thursday with the ‘Hawks seeded No. 2 behind Barlow. Coach Micena expected to be playing Brookfield in the semi-finals with – hopefully – another shot at Barlow in the league championship next Tuesday night.