Kuczynski, Stanislaus State men’s soccer off to historic start

There are goals like those that filled the back of the net on Monday as the Stanislaus State men’s soccer team rang up yet another impressive victory.

Then there are those that aren’t shots at all. Head coach Dana Taylor’s program stands on four pillars, each vital to the Warriors’ short- and long-term success.

And in a game that is as much mental as it is physical, those pillars are framed for the thinking man. Drive a stake in the ground. Fly like geese. Throw a rock in the pond. And simply, strive.

Those four goals have given birth to an offensive juggernaut. The Warriors have scored more goals in five games (24) than they did all of last season (18), and Monday’s 9-0 victory over Holy Names will be talked about for years to come.

The number of goals is the most since the Warriors began California Collegiate Athletic Association play in 1998 with an 8-0 win over Cal State Hayward (now Cal State East Bay).

“Everyone is on the same page. We talked about this in the preseason. We had to come out strong and we have,” senior Daniel Kuczynski said. “We have four things we predicate our team on: drive the stake into the ground; throw a rock into a pond and watch that ripple effect; be like geese flying in a V; and strive. Those are the four main things we focus on. As a team, we’ve shown our assets.”

Indeed.

Stanislaus State is 5-0 for the first time in program history with a chance to build on that. The Warriors have two games remaining in their five-game homestand, including Friday’s CCAA opener against San Francisco State.

Understandably swept by the adrenaline of Monday’s result and the good-time feelings created by the five-match winning streak, Kuczynski let his imagination wander. The Polish-born striker believes the Warriors can be champions of the undefeated sort.

“Twenty-four goals in five games? That’s amazing. We’re all on the same page. Our morale and team chemistry is amazing right now,” he said. “I feel like we’re going to go undefeated. We’re brothers and we’re fighting for each other.”

With a team-high seven goals, Kuczynski has been the tip of the sword in the Warriors’ new attacking style. He followed a four-goal, three-assist effort last week with a brace on Monday. Kuczynski is already the Warriors’ career leader in goals (18) and points (44) in the CCAA era with 13 regular-season games remaining.

On Tuesday, the National Soccer Coaches Association of America named Kuczynski the Division II Player of the Week.

“It feels great and all, but I couldn’t have done it without the team,” he said. “It’s that team chemistry I’m talking about. Everyone’s on the same page and knows what they have to do.”

And to think, he nearly missed all of this. Kuczynski began his collegiate career in Turlock but transferred to the University of Vermont in 2013 to be closer to his family in Toronto.

The weather, plus a growing sense that he belonged in Turlock, lured him back to California.

“I really didn’t like the weather in Vermont. It snowed for eight of the 12 months and it was horrible,” Kuczynski said. “But I did miss this team a lot. They know me and I know them. I felt that team chemistry even when I left. I really did miss them.”

Kuczynski credits Taylor for cultivating a family-first atmosphere. The former Oregon State coach is in his seventh season in Turlock, his path lined with club and collegiate success.

“He’s hard but knows what we have to do to be champions. He connects with every player and he’s smart. Everything is calculated,” Kuczynski said. “We couldn’t have accomplished any of this without him.”

Or his pillars.

This story was originally published September 15, 2015 at 8:05 PM with the headline "Kuczynski, Stanislaus State men’s soccer off to historic start."