The Newtown High School girls’ soccer team finished out the regular season strong, winning three out of its last four games. Newtown put in a good stretch run fighting it out for a spot in the South-West Conference playoffs, narrowly missing the eighth and final spot.

Despite the disappointment of missing the opportunity to play in the SWC tournament, Coach Marc Kenney was very pleased with the team’s effort and overall improvement especially toward the end of the season.

“I think our final SWC game against Notre Dame really showed me how far we have come,” Kenney said of his team’s 2-0 win over Notre Dame-Fairfield, which earned the No 5 seed in the SWC tourney, on October 21. He also emphasized the big steps this very young team has taken over the course of the regular season. “As I said in September, we are so young and have had to rely on so many new players to perform. Looking back, they really grew over the course of the season — and I am proud of them for that.”

The Nighthawks are looking forward to the Class LL Connecticut State Tournament which starts on November 1 with playdowns, followed by first round action on November 4. The official matchups will be posted at casciac.org on October 31; Newtown went into the state playoff positioning with a record of 6-5-5.

When asked about the time off before the tourney, Kenney said that that the team would mix practice, fitness, and fun for the players to keep their skills sharp. “We are also working to schedule a scrimmage or two to keep that winning edge that has emerged,” Kenney said.

The team seems to be ready to focus on these key days of practice time in order to prepare for the tournament.

“As important as it is to keep your soccer skills sharp, it is even more important to keep the special bond we have as a team strong,” senior captain Brenna Kelly said.

In the State Tournament, Newtown will face tough competition but the team is confident.

“In the past, some of our best games were when we were communicating well and working together as a team,” said senior goalkeeper Alyssa Ruefenacht, emphasizing that in order for Newtown to win the team will have to execute well and play their game.

For Kelly, Ruefenacht and all the seniors on the team, the state tourney is one last opportunity to make a deep postseason run and end their high school careers on a high note. As Kelly puts it, “As a captain, I am so proud of the effort and commitment all the girls have shown to this program. We have a talented group of girls who deserve a great run in the state tournament.”