Utah Valley Men’s Soccer has its sights set on the Western Athletic Conference Championship; despite a rollercoaster of a season, they have been able to piggyback off one of its most prominent assets.
“I just try to work hard and perform every single day and see how it goes,” Tom Dobek-Pietrowski explained, “It’s a team sport — you don’t play individually.”
Dobek-Pietrowski was born on April 17, 2000, in Düsseldorf, Germany, where he spent most of his life growing a passion for the game of soccer.
At the age of seven, Dobek-Pietrowski knew that soccer was the dream he was going to chase:
“As a kid in Germany, when I started playing soccer, my teacher told me that she saw a lot of potential in me.”
He spent most of his years playing soccer in Germany but when presented with an opportunity to play professionally in Poland, he could not refuse it.
Dobek-Pietrowski played professionally for the Malawian Mlawa in the Liga, where he excelled before coming to play for Utah Valley.
“Lots of ups and downs when I was there; that’s just how soccer is,” Dobek-Pietrowski said on playing in the Liga, “So I finally decided to make some new experiences, and after a lot of searching I decided to come to UVU.”
Since moving to Utah to play, Dobek-Pietrowski has been a vital part to this Wolverine squad, leading the team in minutes played at 1,094 and starting all 13 games for Utah Valley.
“I am very happy here. I like the place a lot,” he added. “We have lost more games than hoped for, but I love everything about it, from the coaches to my teammates.”
The graduate student defender scored in the first game against Kansas City and has provided excellent defense for Utah Valley, allowing UVU to outshoot its opponents 177 to 141 as of Oct. 21.
With the Wolverines being 2-6-5 on the year and nearing the end of the season, they have gained some momentum coming off a win at home against Air Force.
“This season has helped us as a team in so many ways; we’ve learned to not keep our head down and try our best each day, and our coaches help a lot with that.” Dobek-Pietrowski said.
With this momentum, Dobek-Pietrowski and the Wolverines look to build off it as they will host each opponent in the last stretch of the season, which will rely on his seniority to help boost the team.
“It means a lot to be a leader on this team, I try to share my experiences and set a good example to the younger kids on the team,” Dobek-Pietrowski stated.
The Wolverines will take on California Baptist on Oct. 26 at 5 p.m. MDT and Grand Canyon on Oct. 30.
Both games will be played at Clyde Field and will be streamed on ESPN+.
