With hopes for postseason success, Newtown High School’s field hockey team is not easing into the regular season.

The Nighthawks opened regular season with back-to-back challenging out-of-conference matchups. First was a hard-fought 3-2 loss to Lauralton Hall of Milford at Blue & Gold Stadium on September 5. The Nighthawks then went out of state as they traveled to Longmeadow, Mass. and fell 3-0 on September 7.

Newtown, following Wednesday’s home clash with Joel Barlow of Redding and a Monday, September 16, home tilt with Masuk of Monroe at 6:30 pm, will take on two more nonconference foes as the Hawks visit Trumbull Tuesday, September 17 at 4:30 pm and Branford Saturday, September 21 for an 11 am brunch-time special.

Lauralton Hall, a member of the South-West Conference before moving to the Southern Connecticut Conference about a decade ago, provided a good test for the Hawks out of the gate. The game was tied 1-1 at halftime as Abby Ihlefeld scored unassisted in the first quarter.

Trailing by a goal late in the third it looked like the Nighthawks were about to even the score again. Lily Ammerman had a nice run up field to generate a penalty corner, nice passing by corner insert specialist Mo Murphy, Albrecht, Ellenoire Schoen, and Charlotte Grasso created more chances but Lauralton clogged up the goal area and fended off multiple NHS chances. Lauralton Hall led 2-1 heading to the fourth quarter and added to the lead less than three minutes into the final period.

In the fourth, Newtown continued to rack up scoring chances and converted to slice the deficit in half and pull to within a goal when Rachael Albrecht banged home a goal during a goal-mouth scramble; Evelyn Schoen had the assist.

Newtown Coach Megan Goyda liked how Lauralton Hall tested her squad in multiple ways.

“They have a lot of speed. We saw a lot in our defensive end today,” said Goyda, adding that the visitors also made things tough on Newtown’s offense. “They really had a large presence in the circle.”

Newtown generated seven of the game’s ten penalty corners and was knocking on the door throughout this contest, only to be turned away several times. Newtown goaltender Riley Alesevich made four saves.

Although the Nighthawks lost, Goyda liked seeing how her team adapted as the game unfolded, particularly in moving the ball up the opposite side after some initial focus on the left wing.

“I think we made some great adjustments utilizing the right side of the field. We did a good job working off each other later in game,” said Goyda, referring to some nice passing by her lineup.

Newtown’s strong defensive play was led by Kayla Locke, said Goyda, noting that right forward Ammerman, center forward Ellenoire Schoen, and midfielder Evelyn Schoen all played especially strong games.

Sports Editor Andy Hutchison can be reached at andyh@thebee.com.