In control of their own destiny, but also down to the wire, members of the Newtown High School boys’ soccer team stepped up and locked up a South-West Conference playoff berth with a 3-0 win over Notre Dame-Fairfield, under the lights at Sacred Heart University on October 20.

Blake Jarvis, Clay Gattey, and Shane Gattey all scored in the team’s final conference game of the regular season. Newtown is scheduled to visit Joel Barlow of Redding for a nonconference battle on October 22, in the second of three meetings, in a span of two and a half weeks, between the rivals. They’ll have at it again in the SWC tournament’s quarterfinal round.

Newtown, which defeated the visiting Barlow Falcons 2-1 in their conference clash on October 8, earned 21 points and is the bracket’s fifth seed and Barlow compiled 23 points and is the No. 4 team, so the Falcons will host the opening-round matchup. The game is to be played at 4 pm on Friday, October 24.

The Nighthawks went into the Notre Dame sitting in ninth place, but only two points behind fifth-place Pomperaug of Southbury in the balanced SWC. Teams earn three points for wins, so a victory would ensure a playoff spot, and the Nighthawks got it done.

“It’s always an expectation for us to be in the tournament. It would have been disappointing for these guys if they didn’t get in,” Newtown Coach Brian Neumeyer said.

The Hawks seized a 1-0 lead by halftime and had a 2-0 cushion just two minutes into the second half. Clay Gattey dribbled from the sideline toward the center of the field, using a some nice moves to get past a few defenders, and blasted a shot into the right side of the net from about 20 yards out to double the lead. Later in the half some nice close-quarters teamwork paid off for the visitors when Michael Cook touched the ball to Clay Gattey who got it to Shane Gattey for the final tally. Cook later blasted the post on a free kick as the Hawks continued to apply pressure. Newtown goalkeeper Zachary Laros made a diving save with just over two minutes left to preserve the shutout.

“It’s something we’ve been working for all season,” Clay Gattey said of clinching a conference playoff spot.

The Nighthawks went 4-0-1 in their last five games to pick up key points to climb into the mix. On October 17, the team blanked last-place Kolbe Cathedral in Bridgeport, 5-0 behind three goals by Albert Dean and two from Clay Gattey.

“We’re on a good streak. I think people are on form,” Clay Gattey said.

Newtown reached the championship game a year ago, and fell to Brookfield, which earned the third seed with 24 points this fall. After top-seeded New Milford, with 31 points, only five points separate second-place Weston and ninth-place New Fairfield, which missed a spot in the eight-team bracket by a mere point.

Notre Dame, which finished in 11th place with 15 points in the 14-team conference, and won’t be in the SWC playoffs, blanked New Milford 1-0 on October 18. New Milford had handed Newtown its most lopsided defeat, 4-0, back on September 30; Neumeyer noted that his team was shorthanded at that time so he expects a much more competitive game should the teams match up again in the playoffs.

New Milford also recently lost to seventh-seeded Bethel, which actually finished in three-way points tie with Newtown and Pomperaug of Southbury.

“I think there’s a lot of parity in the conference right now. I don’t think anyone’s a clear-cut frontrunner,” Neumeyer said.

Because of tiebreakers, the Nighthawks jumped into the fifth slot and Pomperaug ended up in sixth. Newtown, meanwhile, tied a Stratford team that finished 11th and the Hawks barely survived a battle with Immaculate of Danbury, which also missed the playoffs and finished in 12th place. Then again, Nighthawks also tied Weston, which finished in third place with 24 points.

“The SWC this year is up and down,” Clay Gattey said.

The Nighthawks, with a win over Barlow in the opening round, will advance to play in the semifinals, scheduled for October 28, with the right to play in the October 30 championship game on the line.