BY SCOTT HUNTER HADDOW
Last year Szymon Niedzwiecki came to Laurentian University as a walk-on trying to make the men?s varsity soccer team.
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Szymon Niedzwiecki has, in his second year, established himself as a premier player in the OUA. |
He made the team and quietly plugged away learning the ropes and finding his place.
This year, Niedzwiecki returned a more focused and confident athlete and it has shown with his extraordinary play on the field as he has established himself as one of the premier offensive players in the Ontario University Association (OUA).
Recently, Niedzwiecki has been stinging the competition with his stunning strikes for goals. In a win over the University of Waterloo on Oct. 4, Niedzwiecki notched all three of Laurentian?s goals in a 3-2 victory. The previous weekend, Niedzwiecki scored Laurentian?s two goals in a 3-2 loss to Western University.
So far this season, the Polish panther has seven goals in seven games. Head coach, Carlo Castrechino credits Niedzwiecki?s determination and confident approach to the game for the break-out season.
?This year, Szymon is more comfortable with the team and the surroundings. He?s also a lot more focused and
determined,? said Castrechino. ?He?s a quiet person off the field and he lets his actions do the talking on the field.?
Contributing to the offensive outburst is Niedzwiecki?s powerful right leg and his ball possession skills.
?Szymon has one of the hardest, most accurate shots I?ve ever seen and I?ve been coaching in this league for five
years and I used to play in it,? said Castrechino. ?He has remarkable ball control and there isn?t a player in Ontario that rivals him.?
Niedzwiecki gives a lot of credit to his teammates for his dominating play.
?My teammates work really hard for me and get me the ball,? said Niedzwiecki. ?They?re a great bunch of guys.?
He also credits his work ethic for developing his powerful, deadly shot, which has been with him since he was a
child.
?When I was younger, I would go to the park everyday and practice shooting 100 balls a day.?
For his efforts, Niedzwiecki has been recognized as the Laurentian athlete of the week for two consecutive weeks.
The acknowledgement has made him an even more positive and determined player.
?It feels great because it has bumped up my confidence on and off the field. It makes you become a better player.?
Niedzwiecki, 20, was born in Olsatyn, Poland and lived there for six years before moving with his family to Rome, Italy.
It was there, in the soccer hotbed of Europe, where Niedzwiecki first started to play the sport.
?When I was young, I used to play soccer on the streets in Poland with my older brother,? said Niedzwiecki. ?It was part of growing up in Europe because everybody loves the sport over there.?
Niedzwiecki was on the move again when he was seven, when his father took a job in Missassauga as a truck driver. While growing up in Southern Ontario, Niedzwiecki continued to hone his soccer skills.
He was a member of Team Ontario?s under 14, 15, 16, 17, and 18 teams. At 19, he received plenty of offers from colleges in the United States, but chose Laurentian because he liked the academic programs and the deeply rooted, rich soccer tradition. He?s enrolled in the arts program, majoring in geography.
Soccer has been a big influence on Niedzwiecki?s life and he hopes it will continue to do so into the future.
?Soccer is who I am and it?s brought a lot to my life,? said Niedzwiecki. ?All my life I?ve dreamed of playing pro soccer in Europe and maybe when I get done at Laurentian, I can try out for a team and keep playing the sport I
love. Anything is possible if you put your mind to it.?
