NHS Girls’ Soccer Team Wins SWC Playoff Opener

By Andy Hutchison

Amy Martin put a 20-yard free kick into the top left corner of the net for the only goal as Newtown High School’s girls’ soccer team edged visiting Pomperaug of Southbury 1-0 in South-West Conference tournament quarterfinal round action at Blue & Gold Stadium on October 26.

The second-seeded Nighthawks, who had tied No. 7 Pomperaug in the regular season-finale three days earlier, move on to the semifinals, pushed to Halloween — after originally being scheduled for October 30 — because of the impending storm, and then put on hold to a date to be determined after schools remained closed through at least Halloween. Newtown earned a berth in the semifinals against No. 3 Masuk of Monroe, at Weston High.

Martin’s goal came with 22:09 remaining in regulation. It was set up by the hard work of Bridget Power, who drew a foul just outside the 18-yard box. Power had earlier clanked a booming 30-yard free kick off the crossbar. Newtown’s Tressa Scott, in the first half, had headed a corner kick feed by Lydia Beiter off the post.

“That goal, on Amy’s free kick, was a culmination of a whole bunch of stuff that occurred throughout the entire game, and it was efforts like Bridget’s and it was players in the back really worrying about getting the ball cleared,” Newtown Coach Marc Kenney said.

Brenna Kelly put forth a strong effort to clear a ball out of harm’s way late in the game.

Kenney’s birthday was on October 26, and he was able to celebrate with a win thanks to Martin’s goal.

“I always know that they’re going to work hard,” Kenney said of his team members.

Kenney added that the defense is consistently solid and it comes down to whether or not his offense will click in the low-scoring game of soccer. His squad generated five corner kick opportunities against Pomperaug. Jess Keller took a corner kick that was headed for the far back corner of the net but a Pomperaug defender booted the ball away.