Junior forward Oliver Kosciolek came off the bench for Bartlett — and out of his shell.
Almost immediately, he provided a boost of energy with his speed and shot-making skill.
”I like to run around whenever I get on the field,” Kosciolek said. “I’m fast and I know I can dribble around a lot of different players in small spaces. I know I have the touch.”
Kosciolek had the Midas touch Tuesday night, scoring two goals for Bartlett in a 3-1 Upstate Eight West victory at West Aurora. His goal in the 20th minute gave the Hawks a 1-0 halftime lead.
Senior forward Pedro Delgado smashed home a rocket-like shot in the 53rd minute for West Aurora (10-4, 2-1). Senior forward Jack Conner responded with a goal off a corner kick to give Bartlett (8-3-2, 3-0) a 2-1 advantage in the 59th minute.
Conner and Kosciolek, meanwhile, have a special dynamic with their shared position on the field.
“He actually came in for me, and I was on the bench during his first goal,” Conner said. “I was supposed to start the second half, but after he scored that beautiful goal, I could not take him out.
“I trust him when he comes in for me, and he can also trust me. That’s great to have. It builds confidence for the team.”
The 5-foot-10 Kosciolek blends size and speed. He wants to seize the moment while aiming for an expanded offensive role. He has scored six goals coming off the bench.
“I scored a goal in our last game,” Kosciolek said. “I knew I could do it again in this game.
“Last year was my first year on the varsity, and I didn’t really have a lot of experience with older players. Now, I feel like I’m getting more action on the left or right wing, making runs and scoring.”
A first-generation American whose parents both came from Poland, Kosciolek took up the game at age 5. His older brother, Jacob, also played soccer at Bartlett. Their father, Michal, played in a Polish professional league in his native Krakow.
Soccer was the perfect cultural bridge of his two overlapping identities.
“I just loved the game,” Oliver Kosciolek said. “I started playing on teams with different American players, and I just felt like I belonged and was part of something.”
Kosciolek has grown more confident in his abilities, learning how to better manage the volatile back-and-forth nature of the game.
”He’s not a starter, but he’s a great player to have,” Bartlett coach Anthony Glorioso said. “Today he came out of his shell, and he worked really hard to come up with those two big goals.
“Last year, he had a big issue about getting negative or down on himself. He’d put his head down. Now, it’s a 180-degree turn. He knows he’s good and he wants to do the best that he can.”
Kosciolek delivered the hammer blow with his second goal in the 75th minute.
“When I saw there were only two defenders in the back, I knew I could take it around them and cut into the middle and score,” he said. “I feel like every time a team scores on us like they did, that just gives us the motivation to shoot more and score.”
His emergence is a key reason the Hawks are 7-2 in their last nine games.
“I spent a lot of time last summer in the gym getting stronger and faster,” Kosciolek said. “Dribbling on players, scoring and winning is what I do. I feel like I’m as good as any other junior or senior.”
Patrick Z. McGavin is a freelance reporter for The Beacon-News.
