A spot in the South-West Conference playoffs is looking pretty good right now for the Joel Barlow High hockey team.

A key win last week essentially qualified the Falcons for the tournament. The only thing that would keep them out at this point is the unlikely chance that NewFairfield/Immaculate beats either Newtown of Watertown/Pomperaug, two tough cooperative teams.

Before getting the deciding win, however, the Falcons had to take on the Bethel/Brookfield/Danbury (BBD) Icecats on Wednesday, Feb. 16. Failing to match BBD�€™s initial speed and endurance, Barlow fell 6-2 at the Danbury Ice Arena.

By combining three schools in one team as BBD skated three full lines as opposed to the Falcons�€™ two and took a 2-0 lead in the first period. Jack Cartafalsa narrowed the gap early on as he hit a corner and beat BBD on the glove side after receiving a centering pass from Paul Camomilli. BBD pumped in another goal to make the game 3-1 before the close of the first period.

Barlow got on the board again in the second frame. Michael Mattson took the puck into BBD�€™s zone and took a shot which deflected off of Cartafalsa�€™s skates and in the net. Cartafalsa was credited with his second goal of the game while Mattson and Tim Eng assisted.

BBD was soon to answer with another two goals of their own. Falcon starting goalie Gordon Loery added to his 28 save performance in the third period, keeping the Icecats to only one more goal. Barlow�€™s offense was unable to get going and the game ended 6-2.

Three days later the Falcons saw New Milford next for a must-win SWC game. Play started out evenly in the first period until Mattson was called for a boarding penalty. On the extra man, New Milford beat Loery for the first goal of the game. The Green Wave�€™s goalie kept Barlow out of the net for the remainder of the first period.

Barlow applied serious pressure on New Milford�€™s goalie in the second. Tallying 17 shots for and only four shots against, the Falcons controlled both offensive and defensive zones. Mattson broke through with a goal shot top shelf over the blocker. Kris Gontzes set up the play and was credited for the assist. With the game even at 1-1 each team went into the second intermission and readied for the third.

Midway into the third period Mattson scored the game-winner for the Falcons, taking it into the zone and beating the New Milford goalie with a backhand shot up high.

Eng and Gontzes were a key component on the play as Eng moved it through the defensive zone and Gontzes advanced through the neutral zone. Each Falcon was credited for the assist.

With a 19 save performance from Loery, the Green Wave remained out of the net in the third. Before time expired, Eng added to the Falcons�€™ lead as he froze the defender with a fake shot, skated wide and fired over the goalie�€™s glove.

The Falcons have a rematch against New Milford on Friday at the South Kent School at 8 p.m. and visit Housatonic Valley on Monday at 7:30 at the Hotchkiss School rink.