The San Diego Strikers have gotten off to another fantastic start this season as the defending Plymouth Division champions currently sit with a 5-0-0 record and are well on their way to defending their title.

The Strikers have yet to lose a game since going 11-0 since joining the Women’s Premier Soccer League last season with forward Kiera Bocchino being a driving force behind the team’s success.

“It’s a good season and we’re having fun,” she said. “It’s definitely different than last season. The fact that we’re all still coming together and that we still have a really good core group is fun. I really like playing with this team, I wouldn’t play with any other team.”

Bocchino had a successful collegiate career playing for the UC San Diego Tritons earning several athletic and academic accolades including being named College Sports Information Directors of America (CoSIDA) Academic All-District 8 First Team for NCAA Division II, which recognizes the nation’s top student-athletes for their combined performances athletically and in the classroom.

She also helped lead the Tritons to the Third Round of the NCAA Division II Tournament in 2016 after a 16-game win streak gave the team a record ninth California Collegiate Athletic Association crown. Bocchino was a human development major with education studies minor at UC San Diego and currently teaches English at Cathedral Catholic High School.

“In college, my favorite goal was the volley,” Bocchino added. “I remember getting this hashtag of the volley queen. It’s just chasing that feeling you get when you get a goal, whether it’s from my foot or from my teammate’s foot, I definitely want to be on the attack.”

A multi-talented athlete she competed in many sports besides soccer including lacrosse and track in high school. Before joining her current club, where she currently leads the team in scoring with five goals, Bocchino played for the San Diego SeaLions alongside many of her current teammates to the point where before each match the team not only does the Strikers’ pre-game cheer but also the old SeaLions bark in preparation to take on that day’s opponent.

“As a teammate, she was a hard-working player,” said former SeaLions captain Rosie Tantillo-Collon. “She was always fit. A committed player and was a key finisher for us, especially in clutch situations. She was nice to everyone on the field always smiling and laughing.”

In 2016, Bocchino helped lead that team to the WPSL finals where they fell to the Boston Breakers Reserves. In 2019, she was a big reason why the SeaLions finished with an 8-2 record overall by outscoring their opponents 26-10 where she lead the team in goals as well.

In 2022, the Strikers have three more regular-season games remaining starting at 7 p.m. on June 29 versus Breakaway SC at Del Norte High, followed by their final home match of the regular season at 7 p.m. on July 1 at Mission Bay High against SoCal Dutch Lions FC, and closing at San Diego Parceiro Ladies at Madison High at 3 p.m. on July 3.

“Sweet serendipity would be getting that win from our league like last year, however, getting to see where we can go,” said Bocchino. “We didn’t get to close out last year so the book is still open and we want to keep filling those pages. Our whole team’s goal, not just mine, is to get all the way to the playoffs, so we’re taking every step now to get there.”