By Kim J. Harmon

BROOKFIELD – Betheney Zancan has scored a ton of goals in the 1999 season but that offensive firepower was not much in evidence last Friday when the Lady Nighthawks went over the Brookfield to take on the Lady Bobcats.

Sure, Zancan scored a goal – but it was the only goal the powerful Bobcats were able to muster against the Lady Nighthawks, who were two days removed from perhaps their most inspired game of the season (a 1-1 tie with Joel Barlow).

And it was a goal that stood up in a 1-0 Brookfield win.

Newtown battled Brookfield to a 0-0 tie through the first half, withstanding a tough assault on its defense and goaltender Keri Levinson. Levinson stoned the Lady Bobcats on a number of occasions, twice taking hard shots right in the stomach. She also made two other solid saves that kept the Bobcats out of the cage.

But while she was doing that, the offense was having trouble mustering the type of attack it did against the Lady Falcons last Wednesday night under the lights at Bruce Jenner Stadium. That day, the Newtown offense was relentless with its pressure despite only coming up with the one goal.

Last Friday, the Newtown offense was held a lot more in check.

The second half opened with little slowing of the Brookfield offense. The Newtown defense did everything it could to keep Brookfield out of the cage but after Kristen Bandura stumbled and fell while trying to clear a ball in the box, she was whistled for stopping the ball with her foot.

The Lady Bobcats were awarded a penalty flick just 16 minutes into the second half, which Zancan – who had 14 goals in the first seven Brookfield games - took and flipped past Levinson just inside the left post for the 1-0 lead.

The goal marred what was otherwise a very inspired game by Levinson in the goal and Bandura on the defense. A solid effort, not quite as sharp as the one against Joel Barlow, but it dropped Newtown to 1-4-1 on the season.

Brookfield outshot Newtown 12-1, with Levinson making nine saves on the afternoon. Newtown had just one penalty corner, but Brookfield had 18 to give itself another advantage on the offensive end of the field.

Brookfield raised its record to 7-0 after the win.