Newtown High School’s boys’ soccer team saw its offense thrive with a five-player front in the season opener, a 4-3 win over visiting Naugatuck, at Blue & Gold Stadium, on September 14.

After tinkering with a more offensive-minded approach than is typical with soccer in the first half, regularly using three and four forwards on the way to a 1-0 lead at the intermission, the Nighthawks pushed it in the second half, and the goals came in bunches.

Newtown and the visiting Greyhounds, in fact, combined to score four goals in less than eight minutes out of the break.

Jack Petersen scored twice off headers, and Joe Premus and Jalen Minter also found the back of the net.

A Nighthawk tally just bit past the midpoint of the second half extended the lead to 4-2, and that proved to be the difference.

Minter finished a pretty give-and-go exchange with Premus for Newtown’s fourth goal, with 16:41 remaining. This retuned the favor as Minter assisted Premus for the lone first-half marker.

Minter, bidding to push the lead to three, got behind the defense and took a shot that grazed the outside of the left post five minutes after his goal.

The Greyhounds got to within a goal with 8:49 to play, but Nighthawks goalkeeper Rick Irving came up with a quick-reaction kick save moments later to help preserve the win.

Irving made a leaping stop of a shot headed for the top corner to help protect a 3-2 lead with 23:25 left among his several denials. Bryce Benson had a timely slide tackle to break up a Greyhound opportunity shortly after the Hawks seized a 4-2 lead. Duncan O’Leary also came up with strong plays in the back.

The Greyhounds scored only 1:27 into the second half, setting the tone for the final wild 40 minutes of action.

Ryan Ruddy’s free kick from 35 yards out on the left side was headed in by Petersen with 34:25 to play.

It took Naugatuck just 20 seconds to tie the score again, and it took Newtown under two minutes after the equalizer to go back in front. A ball played by a Naugatuck defender back to the goalkeeper was mishandled, and Petersen was there to head the ball in for a 3-2 Nighthawk lead with 32:17 to play.

The use of five forwards, easily two more than you will typically see in soccer, is an effort to challenge the Nighthawks and create chaos on the opposition’s defensive end of the field, Newtown Coach Charley Amblo said.

“It’s a blast — everyone working together, all five of us. We’re still working on it, trying to get on the same page. I think we’re going to get better and better at that. I’m excited,” said Petersen, adding that the coaching staff has done a great job putting this approach into effect.

“Obviously it opened things up a little bit,” said Naugatuck Coach Ryan Kinne, whose team edged Newtown 1-0 in a much-differently played state tournament game last November. “It’s certainly a different style you’ve got to adapt to.”

With only two defenders on the field when this offensive-minded style of play is used, Newtown has an adjustment to make on the defensive side as well. Midfielders, including Jake Gonski, Tristan Andrew, and Ruddy, had to work hard to get back and help the defenders. They accumulated seven-plus miles of running in this game, Associate Coach Justin Stevens said. “They were just all over the field,” Stevens added.

“It’s a platform you can build off of,” Stevens said of the four- and five-player front setup.

“It’s certainly a fun style of soccer. It’s exciting for the players and exciting for the spectators,” said Stevens, a former goalkeeper, adding that he admits it makes him a bit tense as a goalie at heart.”

Newtown’s objective is to improve on getting back defensively while maintaining the pressure up top. This being a work in progress, the style of play did lead to more Greyhound chances than they otherwise might have had, but it also helped Newtown establish a two-goal lead.

“In that regard, I feel it is a lot less pressure on me,” Irving said.

Newtown visited New Milford on September 17 and fell 3-1. Stevens said the Hawks looked to continue the mentality of playing an attacking style of soccer, often shifting between a four and five man front line.

"The formation being deployed continues to be a work in progress and, in the early stages of implementation, will leave the team exposed at times," Stevens said.

Both of New Milford's first-half goals came on counter attacks off turnovers. Newtown continued to pressure early in the second half but again was victimized by a turnover. Minter followed up a rebound of his initial shot to pull the Nighthawks back to within two goals. The Hawks continued to press; a shot hit the cross bar and several others were denied on acrobatic saves by goalkeeper Ian Donahue, Stevens said.

Newtown goalkeepers Irving and Chris Shaker split duties and combined to make a handful of saves. Donahue stopped eight shots.

"Despite the loss, the coaching staff believes there were a lot of lessons learned from the game that will allow the team to grow throughout the season. We have a quick turnaround before our next game but are looking forward to moving on from this loss," Stevens said.

The Nighthawks will host Pomperaug of Southbury on Friday, September 20; game time at Blue & Gold is 4 pm.