Coming into the season, despite a new-look lineup, the goals remained the same for Marc Kenney, coach of the Newtown High School girls' soccer team: Win conference and state championships.

The Nighthawks put themselves into position to be serious contenders for the South-West Conference tournament championship by earning the bracket's second seed. Newtown will host No. 7 Joel Barlow of Redding in the quarterfinals, at Blue & Gold Stadium, on Saturday, October 28, beginning at 4 pm.

"The expectation here is always the same," Kenney said.

But, despite his always lofty goals, Kenney recognizes that this season has been a success already.

"It's been an amazing year. For us to be have a year 13-2-1 is pretty special," Kenney said of his team's overall record.

The Nighthawks went 11-1-1 in conference play and captured the SWC's Colonial Division title. Only Patriot Division winner Immaculate of Danbury, which blanked Newtown 2-0 on October 17, had a better conference mark; the top-seeded Mustangs, potentially the team that someone will have to go through to win a conference crown, went 15-1 overall and 13-0 in SWC play this fall.

Newtown beat Barlow 2-0 during the regular campaign. Newtown dominated in several of its games but had some close ones as well, edging Brookfield 1-0 and Masuk of Monroe 3-2, and playing Weston to a 2-2 tie.

The Hawks will play either No. 3 Pomperaug of Southbury or No, 6 Weston in the Monday, October 30 semifinals. Based strictly on seedings you'd think Newtown would prefer to play Weston than Pomperaug, but the Hawks did not beat Weston, yet blanked Pomperaug 3-0, on the road no less.

"I feel like there's a little more parity this year in both the conference and state and, really, it's anybody's game," Kenney said.

It was all Newtown in a 7-1 triumph over visiting Stratford in the regular-season finale, at Blue & Gold, on October 19. Six Nighthawks scored in this Senior Night contest: Sydney Howard twice, and Emma Curtis, Carly Swierbut, Kaley Meisenheimer, Grace Corcoran, and Carlie Smith. Meisenheimer and Swierbut each had two assists, and Karsen Pirone and O'Hara added helpers.

Newtown scored five or more goals a half dozen times this season. Despite the success the Hawks have experienced, they are not getting ahead of themselves.

"It's not lost on them that we have a lot of work to do," Kenney said.

"The expectation is always win everything and work your hardest every step of the way," senior captain Cassidy Kortze added.

Newtown lost in the SWC quarterfinals and the first round of the state playoffs last year, and the Hawks are hoping to do some damage this time around.

"I am looking for some kind of redemption from last year," senior captain Sarah Houle said. "We thought we were in a good position but came up short."

Win or lose in the postseason, this has been a memorable campaign for the squad.

"It's been really a blast. We've formed a lot of close friendships," Houle said.

Houle noted that the roster comprises only four seniors (including backup goalkeeper Janyce Toth and Corcoran), and the upperclassmen meshed well with the mostly younger lineup.

"It just makes for a better team that we're friends with the freshmen and interconnected in a way," Corcoran added.

"I'm very excited," Kortze said of heading into the playoffs with her teammates. "I feel this season not only have we improved our play but also our team chemistry."