Groton — Fitch High School's boys' soccer team is coming off its first-ever appearance in a state championship game, finishing as the Class L runner-up.

Now, the Falcons have a new head coach in Nick McAneny and one who certainly appreciates the lineage of the program. McAneny takes over for Jay Wolfradt, who stepped down following 12 seasons.

"Nick possesses great knowledge of the game of soccer and presented a clear path to continue on with the success of our soccer program," Fitch athletic director Marc Romano said this week in a press release. "His ability to build a rapport with the student-athletes was evident during the interview process as well as the level of energy he brought during our on-the-field interview."

McAneny, a 2013 graduate of Lyman Memorial High School, was a four-year varsity player for the Bulldogs who earned all-legue honors as a senior. He has coached at Lyman Memorial, Montville (where the boys' soccer team was the Eastern Connecticut Conference Division II tournament champion last season) and for the Southeast Soccer Club.

McAneny is a health and physical education teacher at Montville.

v.fulkerson@theday.com