Newtown High School’s boys’ soccer team fell 1-0 to visiting Pomperaug of Southbury in the South-West Conference Tournament quarterfinals on an unseasonably warm October 28 afternoon. This was not the first time the Nighthawks, seeded No. 3, were upset by the Panthers, No. 6 in this year’s bracket, in the SWC playoffs. Last year, NHS was the top seed and fell 1-0 to the No. 6 Panthers in the title game.

The teams played to a 2-2 tie during this year’s regular slate. One might assume you can throw the records out the window when these teams meet and that the outcomes show how much parity there is throughout the conference. Plus, one lucky (or unlucky in the case of the Nighthawks here) bounce is sometimes all it takes in soccer, a sport in which the team that piles up the shots at the goal very often does not come out on top.

That may all hold true, but Newtown Coach Ryan Lyddy was not into excuses for this one.

“We didn’t show up today — period,” Lyddy said.

Newtown’s coach thought his team lacked energy and was outplayed by the Panthers after finishing the regular season on a strong note, winning four straight and six of seven to close the book on the slate.

A tough bounce resulted in the lone goal, early in the opening half. Newtown goalkeeper Yarema Stasyshyn got to all of the other balls on net, and Newtown’s defense was tight thereafter, but it was too little too late.

Pomperaug moved on thanks, in large part, to its goalkeeper. Dan McKulsky made a pair of spectacular stops — both on Connor Muir — leaping to swat one away from the top left corner and later diving to knock a low shot away.

“He played very well. He saved a lot of balls,” Lyddy acknowledged.

Stasyshyn dove to break up a cross and Brendan McAnaspie broke up a follow-up opportunity to keep it a one-goal difference late. Newtown’s offense could not muster many chances. In the first half, one of the better ones came when Ryan Payne dribbled into the left corner and centered past a defender; Manny Adomako put a hard shot just over the top of the cross bar.

“We weren’t on our game today. We’ve got to step it up in states,” said Muir, adding that he is looking forward to the next matchup in the state tournament.

The Hawks went 10-4-2 in the regular campaign, 0-1 in the second season of sorts (the SWC tourney), and now start fresh in the state playoffs.

“Now we get a clean sheet,” Lyddy said. “We’ll figure out who we’re going to play and come up with a game plan.”

Newtown will use the week off to focus on the right combination of fitness and rest to prepare for the start of the Class L State Tournament. NHS is ranked No. 12 and stands to have a home game to begin things.

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