By Kim J. Harmon

NEW MILFORD - If lack of aggressiveness is what worried head coach Kathy Davey the most about her team’s 4-0 loss to Bethel last week to open the season, then she should be a lot less worried following the Nighthawks’ last two games.

On Friday, the Nighthawks took the long road down to Weston and returned home with a 2-0 win over the Trojans thanks to a pair of goals from Kelly Baronoski.

And on Tuesday, the Nighthawks braved a trek down Route 7 to the new digs of the New Milford Green Wave and sloshed their way back onto the bus around 5:05 pm with a 1-1 game hanging in limbo because of down pouring rains.

On Wednesday, with the coach and athletic director making a number of calls, it was determined that - by National Federation rules - the game would officially end in a 1-1 tie.

So, the ‘Hawks are 1-1-1 and what seemed to be lacking so much in the 2000 season opener - that aggressiveness - was readily in evidence in following two games.

Against Weston, Baranoski struck at the 2:45 and 17 minute marks to put Newtown ahead 2-0. The ‘Hawks, though limited to just one corner in the game, did get off eight solid shots. The defense shut the Trojans down, allowing just two shots on goal (and two saves for Newtown cage minder Heather Morgan) and six corner opportunities.

Against New Milford, a hard-hitting team with a bunch of players who can really whack the ball down the field, the ‘Hawks took early control of the game - only to see the Green Wave wrest that control away. About six minutes into the contest, New Milford took advantage of a corner opportunity to score and take a 1-0 lead.

But the deficit would not deter the Nighthawks. Before long, their efforts to get downfield against a tough Green Wave defense paid off in the form of a corner opportunity. With a scramble in front of the cage, the ball was kicked out near the top of the circle, leading to a hard smash that rebounded off the New Milford goaltender.

That rebound dropped right onto the stick of Morgan Pacheco, who was all alone in the center of the circle. Pacheco swiftly took the ball and stroked it to the left side of the cage for the game-tying goal.

That would be all the scoring for the afternoon - but not for lack of effort on the part of either offense. New Milford continued to challenge the Newtown defense with their hard hits that traveled well downfield but the ‘Hawk defense - led by co-captain Abby Reynolds, who cut off several drives on the cage with her aggressive moves to the ball - stood strong.

Morgan also had to make a couple tough saves to preserve the tie.

With fewer than 10 minutes left in the second half, the rain - which had been only an occasional annoyance to that point, with a few sprinkles and nothing more - came down in buckets and forced the referees to send the teams to shelter in the vain hopes of waiting it out.

There was no waiting out the rain and after about 15 minutes, the game was suspended.