Kristen Graczyk grew up in New Mexico..some wouldn't think of it as a soccer hotspot. As a freshman, she helped her team win the State 5a State Title in 1997 at LaCueva High School. Add to the success her Club Team that produced seven future college players...Grazcyk decided to go cross country and play for Len Tsantiris at UConn, where she would be a key cog in the great success the Huskies continued to have...
Kristen's start in 2001 was major. Scoring seven goals in her first 8 games in what would end being a team high 10..The attention Graczyk got suddenly slowed down her early surge..But in a 18-6 season where the Huskies would lose 1-0 to West Virginia in the Big East Semi-Finals, UConn responded with a strong run in the NCAA's. Grazcyk an assist in a win over Sacred Heart, followed by the games' lone goal and winner against Harvard. But the run was ended by Penn State in the round of 16..
The 2002 season record wise would be the best in Graczyk's stay in Storrs as the Huskies won 21 games, including both the Big East Regular and Tournament Titles...Graczyk would soon get a reputation as a big game goal scorer in the NCAA's. One in the opening win over CCSU, then a pair, including the game winner 2 minutes into OT against URI...Again Penn State would end the Huskies run, only this time in the quarterfinals...Graczyk a team high 15 goals and 36 points as Graczyk earned Big East and NSCAA Adidas All Northeast Honors..
The 2003 Huskies came out with renewed purpose and a shot at another run...Graczyk scoring a pair in a big 3-2 OT victory at Portland early on..She'd have streaks of 6 goals in 5 games, then 6 more in 4 games as UConn went 15-6-3 for the season...5-1 in the Big East. Even a stunning 1-0 loss to Villanova on day one of the Big East Tournament wouldn't stop the Huskies...Graczyk the GWG with 5 minutes left to beat BU, then the GWG OT goal and an assist in a 3-2 win over CCSU that put Graczyk over the 100pt mark for her career...A 2 goal, 2 assist day in the round 3 rout of Michigan...then after beating BYU to get to the Final Four, Kristen Grazczyk scored both UConn Goals in the 2-0 Semi Final win over Florida to propel the Huskies to their fourth title game appearance. As in the first three visits, powerhouse North Carolina again the obstacle that wouldn't let UConn thru...As the Heels pulled away in the 2nd half...Graczyk and Teammate Jessica Gjertsen both making the All Tournament Team...Kristen at seasons end again earned her Northeast Team Honors. With 20 goals and 12 assists, she was named the Big East Offensive Player of the Year..and she was named a 2nd Team All American. The 20 goals and 52 points remain the school scoring record by a Junior...
The Huskies won 18 games in 2004, where again Graczyk led the Huskies in goals with 12..six of them game winners while adding 10 assists for 27 points...She scored 4 in the Big East Tournament, including both goals in the Huskies 2-1 over rival Notre Dame in the Final...The Game winner with three minutes remaining...In the NCAA's, her teammate Jessica Gjertsen did most of the goal scoring..But Graczyk did have an assist in the 2nd round win over Colgate before the Irish got payback in round three...Again, Graczyk named All American, Third Team along with being named Big East Offensive Player of the Year and All Northeast Team selections...
In Graczyk's run in Storrs, she's UConn's #3 All Time Points Leader with 146, Third in Goals with 57, Eighth in Assists with 32 and tied for fourth in games played with 99, starting 91 of them...Her career took her to Chicago to play in the W-League, followed by a 2 year stint playing for Soccer Plus Connecticut in the Women's Premier Soccer League. She retired after winning a Championship in the Women's Professional Soccer playing for FC Gold Pride..She also spent a season as an assistant at New Mexico...Today per her facebook page, she's married and live in California as a Director of Business Operations for TEKsystems....
Kristen Graczyk, a transplant from New Mexico who became on of the great offensive players under Len Tsantiris and is a UConn Legend