Title Game Bound!  Girls’ Soccer Team One Win Away From Crown

By Andy Hutchison

WATERBURY — For the first time since 2004, Newtown High School’s girls’ soccer team is headed to the state championship game. The Nighthawks, behind a pair of Melissa Buccino goals and a virtually impenetrable defense, blanked New Milford 2-0 in Class LL bracket semifinal action at Municipal Stadium on Saturday, November 17.

“This is the best day of my life as a coach,” said six-year Newtown Coach Marc Kenney, who has led teams, or played an assistant role at the high school and collegiate level since 1996. This marks Kenney’s first trip to a high school state championship game.

The sixth-seeded Nighthawks earned the right to battle for all of the marbles when they try to dethrone defending state champion Glastonbury at West Haven High School’s Ken Strong Stadium at 4 pm on November 23. Glastonbury is unbeaten (19-0, including regular season and state playoff games) and the Hawks are 18-2-3 (including a 2-1 mark in the South-West Conference tournament). Glastonbury competes in the Central Connecticut Conference and had its tourney canceled because of the aftermath of Superstorm Sandy.

It didn’t take the Hawks long to get on the scoreboard in the semifinal win over the No. 26 Green Wave. Buccino took a pass from Brittany Tolla and buried a shot just 3:05 into the contest. Buccino added an insurance tally with 9:43 left in the opening half. Tressa Scott, who was strong at the midfield position from start to finish, made a good play to keep the ball deep in New Milford’s end of the field, then moved the ball to Jess Keller, who centered to Buccino for the second goal.

That was more than enough for NHS goalkeeper Caitlin Yakush, who made four saves and was rarely challenged. Newtown’s stout defense helped the Hawks shut out an opponent for the third time in four state playoff contests. Part of the defensive success stems from the efforts of Bridget Power, a midfielder moved to center defense to add speed and athleticism to the back line in this tournament.

Kenney said he believes the Nighthawks would have been eliminated three games ago if not for Power’s play in the back. “She’s the reason why we’re winning these games,” said the NHS coach, adding that it is a big sacrifice for Power to give up her preferred role up front. “She just wants to win.”

Then there is Tolla who recovered from not one but two torn anterior cruciate ligaments, and worked so hard to get back to play throughout her career.

“This is really for her and the other girls in this program that have given so much to Newtown High School,” said Kenney, adding that the other seniors have also come a long way.

“These kids have been starting for me for four years. They know how to play and this is sort of the culmination of that. When they were freshman and me telling them like ‘you’re never going to play here, you’re not good enough.’ And them proving me wrong,” the coach said.

Yakush, Tolla, Power, Buccino, Scott, Julia Trudell, Lydia Beiter, and Amy Martin — who scored all four goals in Newtown’s wins over Greenwich and South Windsor in the path to the semis — are all seniors who play significant roles in each game.

Kenney said that moving the ball forward, rather than playing for possession, has keyed the team’s postseason winning ways. The Nighthawks look forward to the championship game, and a chance for some bragging rights after reaching the SWC title contest two years in a row, falling a goal short both times.

“We’re ready,” said Scott, adding that the Nighthawks have a great feeling of togetherness on and off the field, which has carried them this far.

“We’re going to go out there and play our hardest. We’re hoping to go all the way,” Buccino added.

Kenney said he will encourage his players to have fun and enjoy being one of the best two teams in the state bracket .

If all goes well for the Hawks, they will become the top team in Class LL and November 17 will become just the second best day in Kenney’s coaching career.