On the Big Green men's soccer team, Kevin Dzierzawski '13 is that engine. He is the one who chooses the perfect time to send a looping ball to the feet of Mkosana to fire into the back of the net.
Dartmouth head coach Jeff Cook said Dzierzawski's strong fundamentals "are very valuable at the college level."
"Kevin handles the ball very well, is technically strong, passes really well and plays good defense," Cook said.
Dzierzawski's sound play has been valuable to the Big Green since the very beginning of his collegiate career. He played superbly in the midfield as a freshman, tallying a goal and three assists in his collegiate debut. He was one of just four players to play in all 18 games, and he made 12 starts, including five consecutive starts to end the season.
Dzierzawski said he was hoping to "step up my leadership on the team" during his sophomore season, but he suffered a season-ending injury before he could make an impact.
Now fully recovered from the injury, Dzierzawski has helped lead Dartmouth to second place in the Ivy League. With Saturday's game against first-place Cornell University looming, the Big Green is two wins from claiming the League title.
Dzierzawski takes the Big Green's corners and free kicks, scoring three goals so far this season. He also paces the League with seven assists.
"The team looks to Kevin to dictate the offense and be a leader," Cook said. "The players recognize his dedication, the way he prepares himself and his work ethic."
The quiet leader of Dartmouth's attack began playing soccer in Oakland Township, Mich., a suburb about 30 miles outside Detroit.
"My grandpa and dad were huge baseball players," Dzierzawski said. "So my parents threw me into [recreational] league soccer to keep me busy during baseball's offseason."
It didn't take long for Dzierzawski to fall in love with the sport. When he was six, Dzierzawski joined Vardar Soccer Club, one of the premier traveling soccer teams in the Midwest.
Dzierzawski flourished after joining Vardar SC, which won the Michigan State Cup in 2002 and 2003. He also played for a number of Olympic development teams at both the regional and national level.
In high school, Dzierzawski began to establish his place as a leader on the field while also juggling roles on the cross country and track teams. Dzierzawski was a two-time team captain of the soccer team, leading Brother Rice High School to win the Catholic League and pull out first-place finishes in the district and regional championships. He also helped his high school squad to win the Michigan State finals in 2005.
Dzierzawski was named an All-District and All-County player his sophomore through senior years, and earned a place on the All-State team his junior and senior years.
Before Dzierzawski even began his senior year, coaches from top-tier collegiate soccer programs began pursuing him.
"When we saw Kevin play, we could see he had tremendous character and work ethic," Cook said. "He's focused and always wants to improve and understand the game plan. We knew he'd be a good fit here."
When it came down to choosing between a host of institutions that offer both rigorous academics and excellent soccer programs including Harvard University, Georgetown University and the University of Notre Dame Dzierzawski said the treatment he received from players and coaches during his campus visit to Dartmouth made his choice clear.
"I knew they'd act as supportive, parental figures for me," Dzierzawski said. "Plus, you can't beat the academics."
The transition from the high school to college level was initially difficult for Dzierzawski, but he ultimately adapted flawlessly.
"College soccer is tough," he said. "It is better to be consistent than flashy and it takes a lot of maturity and responsibility for your body to be an effective player. A lot of the time the flashiest players from high school don't always do well."
Mkosana said Dzierzawski's play has been critical to Dartmouth's success this season.
"Kevin has mental toughness and a winning attitude," Mkosana said. "He leads by example and makes an impact in every game. His assists are exceptional, and he's playing out of his mind right now. I can see him playing professionally after college if he wants."
While Dzierzawski trained in the Scottish Premier League this summer and has professional aspirations, he said his primary focus now is on academics. Dzierzawski is majoring in sociology modified with economics and is pursuing a minor in environmental studies. He is taking an off-term this Winter to intern at Merrill Lynch in Michigan.
"I'd love to play professionally, but I have to prepare for the rest of my life, too," Dzierzawski said.
Dzierzawski said his dream job is to work for Nike, either designing products or on the company's business side.
"Everybody on the team knows I wear nothing but Nike," Dzierzawski said with a laugh.
Dzierzawski and the Big Green plays Cornell at Burnham Field on Saturday at 5 p.m.
