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Wojciech Wojcik Looks To Have A Keen Eye For Goal With Cosmos B

The forward has set a target of at least 10 goals this season in NPSL play
Published May 14, 2018
For a soccer player, there is no greater feeling scoring a goal.
 
Just ask New York Cosmos B striker Wojciech Wojcik.
 
"It's one of those feelings where you can't really describe it," he said. "It's almost euphoric.
 
"You're riding this wavelength and once in a while you lose yourself in the moment. you're not thinking about the past, you're not thinking about the future, you're just in the present. When everything happens, when you're in the present, for a goalscorer, for a striker, to be able to do everything right, make the right decisions, put yourself in that situation it's a feeling like nothing else."
 
The 25-year-old striker hopes to have that feeling several times this National Premier Soccer League season.
 
In fact, Wojcik's individual goal is to score 10 goals in league play and the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup this year. He tallied his first in Cosmos B's 3-2 loss to the Brooklyn Italians in the play-in round on Sunday night.
 
"Unfortunately, we're out of one those," he said. "So, the NPSL, I shoot for it. I've got to get at least 10 this year."
 
It will need to come to a pace of about a goal a game.
 
"It's about finding rhythm, getting that first one, getting the second one and just building and building on top of that," Wojcik said. "I told myself at least 10 and that's something I will shoot for. That's something that I think about every time I step onto the field.
 
"Can I be effective in front of goal? Can I score? Can I put a shot on target? Can I set somebody up to score? On top of all that, can we get the win? Scoring is important but winning the game is more important. Going into the season, I wanted to be that for my team -- an effective goalscorer and be a good teammate. Minimum 10 is just something that came to me. On top of all that, success of the team is more important."
 
Born in Poland, Wojcik emigrated to the United States when he was three months old. His parents settled in Chicago, where he played for a local Polish team and in an adult league before joining the Chicago Fire Academy. He attended Bradley University, enjoying a banner year as a senior as he was named the Missouri Conference player of the year. He finished tied for the NCAA Division I lead with 14 assists while recording six goals.
 
In 2014, he tried his luck with Ykkonen side Tampereen Ilves, scoring twice in 17 matches and once in two appearances for Ilves-Kassat in the Third Division.
 
"I'm from Europe," he said. "It was fun to experience that -- different country, different language. different situation. It was a fun opportunity, good experience."
 
Since returning home the 6-4, 195-lb. Wojcik has tried to establish himself. He participated in the 2015 MLS combine, but was not taken in the SuperDraft. Wojcik eventually joined Indy Eleven (North American Soccer League) for the 2015-16 seasons and then Oklahoma City Energy, scoring seven goals in 41 matches with the United Soccer League side from 2016-17.
 
During the offseason, Cosmos B head coach Carlos Mendes was looking for strikers and Wojcik stepped forward.
 
"He's a guy who we thought could help us immediately," he said.
                                                                                                               
Mendes hopes for some big things from Wojcik.
 
"Expectations are going to be high," he said. "He is a guy who has played at a high level. He is a proven goalscorer. He's done well so far. As a group, we need to be a little more consistent in the attacking third and that includes him, but I think that's getting to know each other as a group. I would like to see him a little bit higher up the field at times because when he is in the right position he's got good feet. He's a big striker who can hold up the ball. He can do so much for us. He's key for us. We need him to grow, to play. I think he's going to score a lot of goals for us."
 
Doing well for Cosmos B could give Wojcik an opportunity to show what he can do and perhaps open up a path to play in a higher league.
 
"I just stress the importance of coming in and making sure I do my job correctly every day, control the things I can control,” he said. “On top of that, any time you play for the New York Cosmos there's a certain expectation. There's people watching. People know of the players that play here. So, I want to leave this place better than it was or doing what I have to do to help the team being successful, scoring goals, and playing well. So, for me, it's being a good teammate on and off the field, working hard and scoring goals and winning games."
 
Cosmos B will look to bounce back from that defeat to Brooklyn with its first regular-season home game against the same side at Hofstra Soccer Stadium in Hempstead, N.Y. on Tuesday at 8 p.m.
 
"The result hurt us a little," Wojcik said. "We needed to win that game. We wanted to win that game. It still leaves a bad taste in all of our mouths. Definitely stings a lot. We've got to move on and be focused for the next game, which fortunately for us is against the Brooklyn Italians, which is good.
 
"That Open Cup game was a very, very important game, but this next one here against the Brooklyn Italians has just as much significance as that one. It's very important to get back on track in terms of winning and find our winning formula, just finding ways to win."
 
If Cosmos B can accomplish that, that probably means Wojcik is moving closer to his goal.