A not-so-familiar face is coaching the Waupaca boys’ soccer team this season.
Matt Lawniczak is coaching the Comet varsity team after James Rusch, who is back as junior varsity coach, coached last season.
“It was something that just kind of came up,” Lawniczak said before starting a late-afternoon practice with the varsity team at the King Road soccer fields.
“I went into volunteer with the freshman boys, but the opportunity came up with me being a teacher in the district,” said Lawniczak, an art teacher at the Waupaca Learning Center. “It’s something that I definitely wanted to do. I’ve played since I was 5 and all the way through high school on some good teams. I’m definitely excited to be here. Hopefully, I can help these guys any way I possibly can.”
Lawniczak played his high school soccer at Green Bay Preble.
“If there’s a running type of thing (during practice), I’m going to be there right with them,” he said. “I’m not the coach that’s telling them to go run a mile. I’m right there.”
Practice started Aug. 6 and the Comets opened the season Aug. 14 by hosting Stevens Point, traditionally one of the strongest programs in the Wisconsin Valley Conference.
“It’s one of our harder games,” Lawniczak said. “I just want them to give everything that they can and I’m going to do my best to prepare them for that.”
Waupaca’s will also head to Hortonville at 6:30 tonight (Thursday, Aug. 16), compete Saturday, Aug. 18, in the Oshkosh Invitational, and play at Menasha St. Mary Central Tuesday, Aug. 21, before opening Eastern Valley Conference play at 7 p.m. Thursday, Aug. 23, at home against Fox Valley Lutheran.
Lawniczak said it’s too soon to tell how his team will fare in the EVC, especially against programs like FVL and Appleton Xavier, which have combined for four trips to state and a pair of Division 2 state championships in the past six seasons.
“I want to take it one game at a time,” he said. “I like what we have talent-wise, so we’ll see. I’ve seen a lot of great things, They really mesh together.”
The Comets will field varsity and JV teams this season. A freshman squad is still up in the air, although Waupaca High School has scheduled several games for the team.
“I’m really happy with the guys I chose,” Lawniczak said. “I told the guys at the beginning of summer what I wanted. The guys that made the team showed me they honored that and got in shape to the best of their ability.”
Waupaca Comets Boys’ Soccer 2012 Schedule
Varsity
Tuesday, Aug. 14 – vs. Stevens Point, 7 p.m.
Thursday, Aug. 16 – at Hortonville, 6:30 p.m.
Saturday, Aug. 18 – at Oshkosh Invitational, 9:30 a.m.
Tuesday, Aug. 21 – at Menasha St. Mary Central, 7 p.m.
Thursday, Aug. 23 – vs. Fox Valley Lutheran, 7 p.m.
Friday, Aug. 24 – vs. Wausau Newman, 4:30 p.m.
Tuesday, Aug. 28 – vs. Seymour, 7 p.m.
Tuesday, Sept. 4 – at Berlin, 5 p.m.
Saturday, Sept. 8 – at Wausau West Invitational, 9:30 a.m.
Tuesday, Sept. 11 – vs. Ripon, 7 p.m.
Saturday, Sept. 15 – at Waupun Double Duel, 10 a.m.
Tuesday, Sept. 18 – at Clintonville, 5 p.m.
Thursday, Sept. 20 – vs. Freedom, 7 p.m.
Saturday, Sept. 22 – Waupaca Quadrangular, 9 a.m.
Tuesday, Sept. 25 – at Little Chute, 5 p.m.
Thursday, Sept. 27 – at Appleton Xavier, 7 p.m.
Tuesday, Oct. 2 – vs. Winneconne (Parents’ Night), 7 p.m.
Thursday, Oct. 4 – at Pulaski, 7 p.m.
Junior Varsity
Tuesday, Aug. 14 – vs. Stevens Point, 5 p.m.
Thursday, Aug. 16 – at Hortonville, 4:30 p.m.
Thursday, Aug. 23 – vs. Fox Valley Lutheran, 5 p.m.
Tuesday, Aug. 28 – vs. Seymour, 5 p.m.
Tuesday, Sept. 4 – at Berlin, 5 p.m.
Saturday, Sept. 8 – at Wausau West Triangular, 9:30 a.m.
Tuesday, Sept. 11 – vs. Ripon, 5 p.m.
Saturday, Sept. 15 – at New London Triangular, 9 a.m.
Tuesday, Sept. 18 – at Clintonville, 5 p.m.
Thursday, Sept. 20 – vs. Freedom, 5 p.m.
Saturday, Sept. 22 – Waupaca Quadrangular, 9 a.m.
Tuesday, Sept. 25 – at Little Chute, 5 p.m.
Thursday, Sept. 27 – at Appleton Xavier, 5 p.m.
Saturday, Sept. 29 – Waupaca Invitational, 8 a.m.
Tuesday, Oct. 2 – vs. Winneconne (Parents’ Night), 5 p.m.
Thursday, Oct. 4 – at Pulaski, 4:30 p.m.
Tuesday, Oct. 9 -vs. Amherst at Stevens Point, 4:30 p.m.
Freshman
Friday, Aug. 17 -at Stevens Point, 4:30 p.m.
Monday, Aug. 20 – vs. Wausau West, 4:30 p.m.
Friday, Aug. 24 – at Schofield D.C. Everest, 4:30 p.m.
Monday, Aug. 27 – at Marshfield, 4:30 p.m.
Friday, Aug. 31 – vs. Wausau East, 4:30 p.m.
Friday, Sept. 7 -vs. Stevens Point, 4:30 p.m.
Monday, Sept. 10 – at Wausau West, 4:30 p.m.
Friday, Sept. 14 – vs. Schofield D.C. Everest, 4:30 p.m.
Monday, Sept. 17 – vs. Marshfield, 4:30 p.m.
Tuesday, Sept. 18 – at Wausau East, 4:30 p.m.
Monday, Sept. 24 – at Schofield D.C. Everest, 4:30 p.m.
Friday, Sept. 28 – at Wausau East, 4:30 p.m.
Saturday, Sept. 29 – at Marshfield Invitational, 10:45 a.m.
Monday, Oct. 1 – vs. Marshfield, 4:30 p.m.
Friday, Oct. 5 – vs. Stevens Point, 4:30 p.m.