MILFORD - Without four key players, two of whom are the team's leading point-getters, Newtown High School's typically offensive-minded hockey team changed its focus to defense and clamped down for a 2-1 win over rival Masuk of Monroe in the conference tournament semifinals, at Milford Ice Pavilion, on March 1.

"This was one of my greatest games of coaching and proudest moments for a group that came together and stepped up," said Newtown Coach Paul Esposito, whose Nighthawks advance to the Friday, March 3 championship game of the South-West/Southern Connecticut Conference Division III Tournament.

Newtown, the third seed in the tourney, will face  top-seeded Lyman Hall-Haddam Killingworth, a winner over No. 4 Brookfield-Bethel-Danbury; the puck drops at 8 pm over at West Haven's Bennett Rink. Second-seeded Masuk will resume play in the upcoming state tournament.

Newtown was short those players as a result of suspensions following mostly pushing and shoving, and a bit of being in the wrong place at the wrong time, just after the final horn sounded when the Nighthawks and North Haven skated to a 2-2 tie in the regular-season finale on February 25,

Against Masuk, the Nighthawks jumped out to a 2-0 lead and held off the Panthers. Jack Hanley, assisted by Kyle Vitolo and David Brestovansky, opened the scoring 8:15 into the first period. Sean Ferris, set up by Devin Marsh, lit the lamp at the 11:33 mark.

"We didn't come ready to play this game tonight. We got our lunch fed to us in the first period," said Masuk Coach Andy Townsend, adding that his team played better in the second and third periods but couldn't do enough thanks to the play of Newtown goaltender Kyle Murphy.

Masuk scored just 15 seconds into the second period, but couldn't muster any more offensive production due to Murphy's efforts and solid defensive play from Cole Bepko, Jetson Ku, Ferris, and Vitolo.

Newtown's forwards also played a spirited game on both ends of the ice, backchecking and forecheking with energy from the get-go.

"We changed our system a little bit to be more defensive-minded," Esposito said.

The Hawks were outshot 26-20 and Murphy did his part to keep Newtown in front throughout the evening.

"We told Kyle that he would have to stand on his head and he did," said Esposito, adding that the goal was to clear away rebounds and Esposito said his defensemen and centermen were up to the task.

"Their goalie made some great back-door saves and some rebound saves. That, right there, was the difference," Townsend said.

Masuk had a late-game power play and, with about a minute to go, pulled goaltender Tag Weiss (18 saves) to apply heavy pressure in the final few minutes.

Townsend said it is possible his players were impacted by knowing Newtown was shorthanded, but added "it's a rivalry game. It doesn't matter who's in the lineup. You're always going to have a competitive game between Newtown and Masuk.

The teams split a pair of regular-season battles, with Newtown winning 7-5 (including an empty-netter) and Masuk prevailing 3-2.

Esposito noted that assistant coaches Dan Harrison and Pat McLaughlin, who were part of Newtown's state championship team four years ago, stepped up to help lead the team on and off the ice in the days leading up to the start of this year's playoffs.

Esposito said he expects three of the players who were given major penalties in the North Haven game to be reinstated for the championship game. Domenic Cartelli, Lucas O'Brien, and Scott Bauer, he is hopeful, will return. Scott McLean, who combined with Cartelli and Brestovansky to form an explosive top scoring line, likely won't be in the lineup for the title game, the coach said.

Esposito noted that some of the players from both teams were merely attempting to break up some of the rough stuff, and noted that Bauer was simply going over the boards at the end of the game and remained away from the fracas, but was unfairly penalized. "He wasn't even involved," the coach said.

The incident could cost Newtown its state championship hopes because, as things stand, the Hawks will be disqualified from the state playoffs for exceeding the major penalty limit.

The Nighthawks are appealing the suspensions and hoping to get a hearing with Connecticut Interscholastic Athletic Conference officials on Friday, March 3, the day the state seedings are to be announced.

The Hawks, if not disqualified, will host a first-round state playoff game at Danbury Ice Arena on Monday, March 6.

"It's a very frustrating thing - very frustrating," Esposito said.