NHS Field Hockey Team Gets To .500 With Back-To-Back Wins

By Andy Hutchison

Three was the magic number for Newtown High School’s field hockey team this past week. The Nighthawks scored three goals in back-to-back games — both wins — to earn their third victory of the season and, in doing so, reach the .500 mark for the first time.

The Nighthawks blanked visiting South-West Conference opponent Weston 3-0 at Blue & Gold Stadium on October 5 and edged visiting nonconference foe Haddam Killingworth 3-2 at Treadwell Park on Tuesday to improve to 3-3-1-1.

Newtown went winless in its first four games but earned a tie and a point in an overtime loss during that stretch, then started to find its winning ways. After scoring just once in their first four games, the Nighthawks have caged 11 in their last four. NHS Coach Amanda Hadgraft says the team has been stressing finishing off plays and scoring, and it’s paying off. “In practice we’ve been really focusing on driving it into the cage,” Hadgraft said. “They’re finally going for it.”

That was evidenced in a 22-shot effort against Weston, one in which Kayla O’Leary, Nicole DeFelice, and Kelly O’Sullivan all scored. Newtown was limited to just five shots on goal against HK, but it wasn’t for lack of effort. This was a tougher matchup for Newtown than the one against a one-win Weston team. Hadgraft was more than pleased with how her team battled to victory against an HK squad that had just one regulation loss coming into the game. The Newtown coach said her team played its best all-around game, and pointed to strong passing, defense, and being hungry around the cage to high points for her lineup.

“This game was basically the epitome of everything we’ve been working for this year,” Hadgraft said.

Against HK, O’Sullivan scored twice, jamming home the game-winner during a goal-mouth scramble following a penalty corner, with just 8:08 to play in a back-and-forth second half. DeFelice also scored, and Anna Grillo, O’Leary, and Jess Haitz all earned assists in the win.

The Nighthawks were scheduled to host Bethel on Wednesday (after The Bee sports section went to press), and will visit Joel Barlow in Redding on Friday, October 14. Newtown goes to Monroe to face Masuk on Saturday, October 15, and returns home to face Brookfield for a 7 pm game at Blue & Gold Stadium on October 18.