Boys Lacrosse Wins Milestone Game Against New Milford

The Newtown High School boys lacrosse team reached the halfway point of the 2010 season at New Milford on Wednesday night.

The SWC tilt with the rival Green Wave proved to be a milestone game, proving to the Nighthawk faithful that this year's squad belongs in the hunt for the SWC title.  

A stifling defense, led by Brandon Body in goal and close defenders Connor McNamara, Max Nacewicz and Ralph Sergiovanni, limited New Milford's scoring chances throughout the game.

On offense, Nighthawk Juniors Will Northrop, Colby Summerlin and Lewis Thompson each scored two goals. Thompson also had two assists, and Body's nine saves paced an 8-5 road victory that raised Newtown's record to 6-2 as the team heads into the second half of the season.  

The Green Wave jumped in front at 10:28 of the first quarter, as long stick midfielder Sean McMahon wove his way to the cage unobstructed to whip a goal past Body. On the ensuing face-off, Senior Captain Kyle O'Connor controlled draw, giving Newtown's offense a chance to go to work. Thompson worked his way past his defender and zipped a pass into the crease for Northrop, who caught the ball, spun back to his right and buried a high shot to tie the score.

O'Connor and Dylan Huebner continued to dominate the face-off X, giving Summerlin the ball for a sweep to his left and a low shot that beat Green Wave Goalie Pedro Guadencio to his off-side. Ryan Korth then took the same approach but this time to the right, scoring another unassisted goal off speedy sweep for a 3-1 Newtown lead at the end of the first quarter.  

The bulge grew to 4-1 after Summerlin took control of a loose ball at midfield, sprinted towards the offensive zone and found a cutting Thompson, who faked Guadencio low and put away a high shot that rippled the twine. The Green Wave's answer came from their offensive leader, All-State attacker Brandon Kuring, whose textbook questionmark dodge around the left side of the cage drew New Milford to within two with two minutes left in the half.

New Milford's Andrew Golden made it a one-goal game after a spinning, chaotic dash for the cage and tumbling shot in front of the crease that bounced past Body with only seven seconds left in the half.  

In the third quarter the Newtown defense clamped down. Nacewicz continued to keep the talented Kuring off target, Body stopped everything that came his way, and midfielder Dan Sclafani used his white-hot speed to corral loose balls, take outlet passes and bring the ball downfield and give Newtown valuable possessions.

The Nighthawks stymied the Green Wave attack, holding the hosts scoreless and allowing only one shot on goal in the quarter.  The offense was buoyed by Summerlin's and Northrop's second goals, making it 6-3 Newtown as the game headed into the final stanza.  

After Summerlin was sent off for a personal foul, New Milford's Shamus Higgenbottom converted the man up play with eight minutess left.  Two minutes later, Northrop sliced through a triple team at midfield to start a fast break. The pinpoint passing display ended with Thompson putting away the cross-crease pass from Freshman Dan Hebert to make it 7-4 Newtown, giving the Nighthawks some much-needed breathing room.

Another Newtown penalty gave Kuring the space he needed to score his second goal of the night, but a Green Wave penalty with two minutes left took some air out of the comeback. On the ensuing extra man opportunity, Huebner took a Thompson pass and bounced it past Gauadencio to seal the 8-5 Newtown win.