The loss of seven players to graduation and another two — senior forward Sarah Lynch and senior goalkeeper Alyssa Ruefenacht — to injury, doesn’t prevent Coach Marc Kenny from believing his Newtown High School girls’ soccer team will be back in the mix of teams contending for South-West Conference and state championships this year.

Make that the team winning conference and state titles.

“My expectations are always the same — SWC and state title,” Kenney said matter-of-factly during a preseason practice at the school’s grass practice fields last week. “They’re soccer players. They have a long way to go but the culture of this program is they expect to win. It’s never a rebuilding year — never.”

Proof is in the pudding. The 2012 squad won the state title and the loss of most of the lineup the following year didn’t prevent the team from winning ten games.

Last year, the Nighthawks certainly didn’t go down without a fight — both in the conference and Class LL state playoffs. The Nighthawks went 9-4-3 in the regular season, then suffered a double overtime/penalty kicks loss to New Milford in SWC quarterfinals before enduring an overtime setback to Newington in the first round of states.

This year’s senior captains are midfielders Jess Keller and Brenna Kelly. Junior defender Maddy Sieber and sophomore forwards Julia Shugrue and Makenna Cerney also bring experience and skill to the field.

“The rest of the group is untested and we’ll see,” Kenney said. “The door’s wide open.”

Open for players to step in at all positions, including in the goal. Ruefenacht starts the season sidelined with a shoulder injury that could keep her off the field for the year. Kenney is hopeful he gets his keeper back before the end of the short season. As preseason gave way to the start of the regular campaign this week, four players were contending for time guarding the nets.

Lynch, an All-State forward, suffered a break and torn ligaments to her foot playing AAU basketball this summer. “That hurts but we have others kids that will have to take her spot,” Kenney said.

Shugrue is, in many ways, a welcomed addition. Though she was on the team a year ago, she missed much of it with a broken leg. She also suffered a broken clavicle during the spring lacrosse campaign.

“I think the strength of our group is they have a real sense of how we want to play. They’re really focused on possession,” Kenney said.

A high level of fitness is always a strength of Kenney’s squads right out of the gate. Kenney believes his program has set the standard for offseason workout preparations and notes that all other teams in the conference are now working hard to be as physically fit as possible for opening day.

“Now everybody’s doing it, and it shows. It’s become the norm more than the exception,” Kenney said. “So now we have to work harder.”

Good competition should come from the likes of defending conference champion Pomperaug of Southbury, along with perennial powers Joel Barlow of Redding, New Milford, and Immaculate of Danbury, Kenney anticipates.

After visiting Bunnell of Stratford to begin the season on Wednesday, September 10, the Hawks are set to play their home opener on Saturday, September 13, when Portsmouth, R.I., visits Blue & Gold Stadium for a 6 pm contest. Bethel visits Treadwell Park at 3:45 pm on Tuesday, September 16. Among the biggest home games on the slate are an October 3 battle with Pomperaug (3:30 pm) and an October 11 visit from Immaculate (7 pm) — both at Blue & Gold Stadium.