Despite a valiant comeback effort, Newtown High School’s field hockey team — the No. 1 seed in the South-West Conference Tournament — fell 3-2 to visiting and No. 5 New Milford under an on and off rainfall on October 30.

The Nighthawks trailed 1-0 at the half and were behind 3-0 in the third; they scored with just over two minutes left in the stanza to gain momentum that carried over into the fourth. Ellenoire Schoen hit the back of the cage off an assist from Mo Murphy to cut the New Milford lead to 3-1. The goal was set up by Murphy’s penalty corner insert and a quick passing exchange between the two Nighthawks.

Newtown sliced the lead to a goal less than four minutes into the fourth, after sustained pressure, when Abby Ihlefeld connected. The Hawks proceeded to create scoring opportunities, the field seemingly tilted at the Green Wave goal. The Hawks racked up 11 penalty corner opportunities in the game to just two for the Green Wave, but could not get the equalizer. Newtown had one fourth-quarter sequence in which there were five corners in succession before the Green Wave finally cleared the ball.

“Something clicked in the second half — we used each other,” Goyda said of NHS teamwork in the final two quarters. “We were the better team but we just turned it on too late.”

The Hawks avenged a regular-season setback to the Joel Barlow Falcons with a 4-1 win in the quarterfinals at Blue & Gold Stadium on October 26. The Nighthawks fell 2-1 to Barlow on October 16. They led 1-0 at halftime and built a 3-0 advantage before carrying a 3-1 lead into the fourth quarter of the rematch.

Rachael Albrecht opened the scoring, assisted by Summer Harrell. Albrecht returned the favor by assisting Harrell early in the third quarter. Schoen banged home a loose ball for a 3-0 lead midway through the third. Barlow got on the board less than a minute later but got no closer. Brooke Bulkley cashed in on a penalty corner opportunity in the fourth. Bulkley also had an assist; Harrell finished with a goal and two assists; Schoen added an assist; and Murphy and Emily O’Neil also set up goals.

“We win as a team and we lose as a team,” said captain Annika Bozentko, adding that the Nighthawks have come together as a group this fall.

The Nighthawks will look to bounce back in the upcoming Class L State Tournament. The qualifying round is scheduled for Monday, November 6, with first-round action to commence two days later.

“We’re a team that plays to the level of the team we’re playing,” said Goyda, optimistic her Hawks will rise to the occasion against tough competition in the largest class size grouping for field hockey in the state.

Despite the SWC setback, this has been one heck of a season with the Hawks posting a 10-5 mark.

“They’re having fun and it translates into solid field hockey,” Goyda said.

“It’s been a lot of fun. We’re playing together as a team,” captain Alexa Manfredonia said.

Harrell, another captain, said a key to success has been the way the players talk on the field.

“For the most part we talk well — we communicate well,” Harrell said.

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