Riverside—To trace the connection to what drove the best Big West start in UC Riverside men's soccer history, head coach Tim Cupello remembers a preseason off-site retreat that helped his players bond together.

The retreat was an extension of the culture change that Cupello and his staff wished to foster with the team.  A culture founded upon the core values of respect and trust, as well as loyalty, excellence, teamwork and courage.

"We did some stuff where the guys opened up and shared some personal life history with one another," Cupello recounted.  "You could tell they were willing to let down their guard and be a little vulnerable with one another.  I think once that happened, and the players started to get to know each other more on a personal level, not just a soccer level, then they started to realize 'wow, this guy is going through similar things that I've gone through.'"

The payoff is a maximization of his squad's talents, fueling an 8-4-1 record and 3-0-1 start in Big West play.  The Highlanders are two wins shy of tying the school Division 1 record for victories, and one away from equaling the program standard in conference.   The results seem to be just as much a product of the players and coaches treating one another as family, in addition to the more tangible factors such as skill development, improved technique and effective in-game strategy.

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