Newtown High School’s hockey team will face Enfield-based Tri-Town in the Division III state tournament semifinals. The game is scheduled to be played at Yale University’s Ingalls Rink in New Haven on Tuesday, March 18, at 7:30 pm.

The Nighthawks, seeded second in the bracket, defeated No. 15 Joel Barlow of Redding 5-1 in the first round, and topped No. 7 Hall-Southington 4-1 in the quarterfinals. No. 11 Tri-Town advanced with a 2-0 blanking of No. 6 Housatonic-Northwestern-Wamago and a 3-2 triple-overtime victory over third-seeded Sheehan of Wallingford.

Newtown defeated Tri-Town twice during the regular season, shutting out its opponent 3-0 on home ice, at the Danbury Ice Arena, and pulling out a 2-1 win on the road in the final game before the playoffs.

The winner will face either top-seeded Masuk of Monroe or No. 4 EO Smith-Tolland-Windham (who will play two hours before the Newtown game, at Ingalls Rink) in the championship game. The pinnacle battle, also to be held at Ingalls Rink, will begin at 10 am on Saturday, March 22.

Newtown faced both possible finals-round opponents during the regular slate, earning a 3-2 opening-night win over Masuk and skating to a 1-1 tie with EO Smith-Tolland-Windham.

Check back on the Bee’s sports webpage as well as in the March 21 print edition of The Bee for coverage of the semifinals.