The Newtown-New Fairfield (NNF) co-op hockey team skated to a 2-0 win over Housatonic Valley Regional, at the South Kent Prep School, on January 29.

With several players back in the lineup following illness and injury, the team is almost whole again as only two players remain out. After a month plus on the sidelines, Blake Ballard made his presence known early and often, flying around the ice like a kid set free in a candy shop. Seemingly slung out of a sling shot, Ballard picked up a contested puck in his own end and raced down the bench-side wall before locating a wide open Quinn Harris on the mid lane drive. Harris easily deposited a tap-in for the lead, a shorthanded tally, about halfway through the opening period.

The score remained that way throughout the second period and deep into the third when Alex Schmidt whipped home a beauty of a shot. Schmidt was set up by a nice chip up the boards close to the NNF blueline by Luca Moura who picked up the assist.

Senior netminder Max Browne got the call in goal for this contest and did not disappoint in picking up his second shutout of the season. He made a number of routine saves mixed in with a few quality chances including a “Michigan” attempt (picking up the puck with the blade of the stick in an attempt to jam it past the goalie) by one of the Housy players. It was all for naught as Browne stood tall and picked up 18 saves.

Ballard was honored within the locker room for his perseverance, leadership, and return to play. Sophomore blueliner Colby Cheneski also returned and was on the ice for one of the goals making for a positive and solid return.

With the win over Housatonic, the Nighthawks improved to 9-4 this winter. The NNF squad was coming off a 5-3 loss to the Brookfield-Bethel-Danbury-Immaculate (BBDI) team, at Danbury Ice Arena, on January 24. NNF was down five skaters but never quit and rallied in the third period to make it a game off a three-point performance by captain Schmidt, a gutty and gritty performance by captain Ashton Albert in the defensive end, and some timely saves by assistant captain and goaltender Garrett McCollam who kept his team in it throughout.

With the game getting chippier and chippier a BBDI penalty box parade started and NNF took advantage of the plus one and Schmidt tweaked the twine high for his second goal of the night coming with helpers from Albert and Moura. This cut the deficit to one at 3-2 but several minutes later, during four versus four play, BBDI restored the two-goal lead. Shortly and several penalties thereafter, BBDI extended the lead off a missed assignment in front allowing a tap-in from the top of the crease from an unchecked opponent.

After a scuffle and a lengthy injury stoppage, NNF got another power play goal with some hard work behind the net by Schmidt who muscled the puck free to Jack Albano in front. Albano was relentless in following his first two opportunities to bang the puck in. NNF was outshot 37-26 in the contest with McCollam recording 32 saves. The NNF team remains top five in Division III and BBDI is the top D-III team with a record of 11-2.