Third Line Steps It Up As Hawks Skate To First Victory

By Andy Hutchison

DANBURY — After a pair of close losses to begin the campaign, Newtown High School’s hockey team was staring an early deficit and path to an 0-3 start in the face. Newtown Coach Paul Esposito saw plenty of room for improvement after his team fell behind 1-0 to Wilton on Tuesday night. Esposito and his coaching staff called on the players to step it up, and they responded for a 3-2 win at Danbury Ice Arena.

“We were happy with how some guys reacted, especially our third line — Jake Solomons and Zach Waller and Hayden Savoia. They put some real pressure on. They came out with some fresh legs,” Esposito said.

Solomons fought for the puck and set up Waller for Newtown’s first goal — also the sophomore’s first high school tally — in the second period, and Waller set up Christian Blais’s tie-breaking/game-winning tally early in the third period.

Wilton broke a 1-1 deadlock just 21 seconds into the third period. Newtown answered exactly three minutes later when Chris Erikson netted a shot that was assisted by Evan Isaacs and Alex Kelly. Only 26 seconds later, Blais made it a 3-2 game and the Nighthawks continued to apply pressure and limit Wilton’s scoring chances down the stretch. NHS goaltender Michael Allwein made 23 saves, including one in the waning seconds to preserve the victory.

“We’re happy with that win. We knew we were going to have our hands full tonight, so we’re really pleased with how we finished up here in the third period,” Esposito said. “We’re happy with certain portions of things that we’ve been working on — especially getting shots to the net tonight.”

The coach added that his team seemed to wake up following the Solomons-to-Waller setup. “Our message was ‘we need to be tenacious out there,’” said Esposito, adding that his team started to show that sought-after tenacity after the first intermission pep talk.

Esposito noted that Wilton, a Division II school from the FCIAC, is always a tough team, but may have had a bit of a disadvantage since it was the team’s first game of the season. The Nighthawks already had a pair under their belts — a season-opening 4-3 loss to Division I Notre Dame-Fairfield on December 15 and a 3-1 setback to D-II Trumbull of the FCIAC two days later.

In the ND-Fairfield game, Brett Klein, Isaacs, and Blais all scored. Blais had a three-point night with assists on the other two goals, and Parker Rodbell and Tyler Hanley added helpers.

Against Trumbull, Newtown’s lone tally came off the stick of Rodbell, assisted by Blais on a five-on-three power play.

The Nighthawks will host the Rockville-Manchester-Stafford team in Danbury at 4 pm on December 27.