Host Joel Barlow High School of Redding's field hockey team  - unbeaten in conference play, the top seed in the bracket - kept piling up the chances in an October 29 South-West Conference tournament quarterfinal-round contest.

The Falcons amassed 15 penalty corners, most of which came in the final minutes of regulation. Newtown goaltender Nathalie Shaker and the Nighthawk defense feverishly kicked, blocked, and swatted away everything the Falcons threw at them.

In the end, the eighth-seeded Nighthawks upset the Falcons 1-0 to advance to the semifinal round.

Alison Kelleher was in position to bang in the only goal of the game, following up a shot off the stick of Emma Schmid-Tharnish that squeezed through the pads of Barlow goalie Tatiana Naclerio but didn't make it across the goal line. Kelleher's cage-finder came with 7:09 left in the first half.

Lauren Zimmerman, Emily Dirga, and Hana Rosenthal all worked hard to generate scoring chances for the Nighthawks, and defender Megan Goyda made her way around a few defenders on a long run to set up a chance, but the Hawks couldn't add to their lead.

Barlow couldn't capitalize.

Newtown's defense, led by Goyda, Olivia Butler, and Kaitlyn Reilly, got in front of and deflected numerous shots. Barlow finished the game with a 13-7 advantage in shots, and had all of the corners in the matchup. Shaker made 11 saves, including a key blocker stop and some aggressive kick-aways and pad saves on well-executed Barlow corners.

The Falcons had several corner inserts in the final seconds, including one as time expired as this game went all the way down to the wire.

"It's crazy because the ball goes so fast. It's now or never - that one kick can mean the whole game," Shaker said of the importance of quick decisions in protecting the cage under pressure.

Barlow went unbeaten in conference play this fall (10-0), and suffered just one shutout loss - a 5-0 setback to nonconference foe Staples of Westport in the season opener.

The Nighthawks (4-6 in SWC action) not only blanked this typically potent offense, but did so despite being shorthanded two players, including about a half-minute of overlap time with the pair of two-minute penalties, because of infractions in the second half.

"I'm so proud of them. They came in wanting the game. They went for the ball and they didn't give up," said Newtown Coach Stephanie Kearns, adding that her back line, especially, performed at a high level despite Barlow's relentless attack. "Defense stayed strong. They didn't let it get to their heads."

Maybe the shocker on paper wasn't much of a surprise to the underdog Nighthawks. After all, the Hawks hung close in a 1-0 loss to Barlow during the regular season, and have a history of battling to the finish in close contests against their rivals. But it's not too often that an eighth seed takes down a number one.

"We've worked so hard and it's finally paid off," Newtown captain Megan Kelleher said. "We've been a very inconsistent team. It just goes to show when it counts we pull through."

The Nighthawks will take on No. 4 New Milford in the semifinals, on Wednesday, November 2, at New Milford High, beginning at 7 pm. Newtown lost to New Milford 2-0 in the regular-season meeting.

Megan Kelleher and company hope the theme of pulling through when it counts proves effective again.

If it does, that will mean a spot in the Friday, November 4 championship game.