A pair of games rescheduled due to this season’s rainy weather has Newtown High School’s field hockey team in the midst of — weather permitting — four games in five days heading into the last week of the regular slate. This after ten days off between games and the Nighthawks posting a 1-0 win over New Fairfield at home on October 13.

“I think it’s a good test,” Newtown Coach Megan Goyda said. “It’s a lot of game play but it’s a lot of mental switches which is good.”

The Nighthawks followed a 2-1 loss at Joel Barlow on October 16 with a rescheduled tilt with visiting Longmeadow of Massachusetts the next day and fell 3-1. Against Barlow, Lagan scored her first varsity goal, putting one home off a corner. In the Longmeadow game, Summer Harrell scored. Then came Senior Night, a home tilt with Bethel on October 18 to make it three games in as many days. Following an off day, the Hawks are scheduled to make up a game when Immaculate of Danbury visits Friday, October 20, at 4 pm. The regular season concludes with a visit to Pomperaug of Southbury Tuesday, October 24, at 7 pm. Then it is on to the South-West Conference playoffs.

The Nighthawks were a bit rusty coming off the layoff but got the job done against New Fairfield. The offense may have been limited in this one, but the lone goal sure was a pretty one. Emily O’Neil made a long run and sent the ball far post to Rachael Albrect who knocked the ball home with just 57 seconds remaining in the opening half.

Newtown knocked on the door for more before the second quarter ended, but the Rebels shook off a pair of penalty corners as time expired.

Early in the second half, a hustle play by Abby Ihlefeld broke up a New Fairfield bid to tie. Solid defensive work by Jules Battaglia, Lagan, Mo Murphy, and Alexa Manfredonia kept the Rebels in check for most of the evening. Midfielder Brooke Bulkley helped out on both ends of the field and goaltender Riley Alesevich made a trio of saves.

In the fourth quarter, the Hawks did not just sit back. Bulkley made a nice cross from the right side to set up a scoring chance, but the Rebels, who have shut out six opponents this fall, limited Newtown. The Nighthawks mustered seven penalty corner chances to five for New Fairfield.

“I think it should have been a larger margin of victory but a win’s a win at the end of the day,” said Goyda, adding that her Hawks did not move the ball as well downfield as they usually do.

Given the time off leading into this matchup, Goyda took her team being slightly off its game in stride and said that something the Hawks did well was utilize its collective speed in open space and work give-and-go passing plays into the action.

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