Facing a tough FCIAC team on the road in the Class L State Tournament’s first round on November 8, the No. 10 Newtown High School field hockey team certainly was an underdog. The Nighthawks hung in there, trailed just 1-0 at the half, and fell 3-0 to the No. 7 Cardinals.

To put things into perspective, Greenwich hails from FCIAC, which loaded with some of the state’s top teams and Greenwich went on to lose by just a goal, 2-1, to No. 2 seed and fellow FCIAC standout Staples of Westport.

“To walk away 3-0 with one of the best teams in the state, we proved we deserved to be one of the top teams,” Newtown Coach Megan Goyda said. “I’m super proud of them.”

Defender Jules Battaglia made two defensive saves in support of goaltender Riley Alesevich, who came up with several saves to keep her team in the game. Jenna Lagan, Alexa Manfredonia, and Mo Murphy also provided strong play in the back.

This was Goyda’s first year coaching her alma mater and it was a rewarding campaign for the former Nighthawk standout.

“They’re a great group. I can’t imagine a better year to start with,” Goyda said.

This is an overall young team so the future looks bright but seniors who will leave shoes to fill are Battaglia, Manfredonia, Annika Bozentko, and Summer Harrell.

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