The origins of Discovery Canyon’s hot start in boys’ soccer might be traced back to World Cup watch parties over the summer.

Long before the Thunder dispatched of Doherty 4-2 on Thursday night, pushing their record to a quick 2-0, they were gathering once a week to watch teams like Argentina, Columbia and Portugal; the best the world had to offer.

First-year coach Jose Montalvan, who recently retired as a colonel after three decades in the Marine Corps, used this as an entry point to building team culture.

“In order to accomplish our goals, we’ve got to play as a team. We’ve got to be a family,” Montalvan said. “So we got together.”

The team gatherings stretched from the fun get-togethers to grueling workouts.

“I think we’re just a lot more willing to work,” said sophomore William McKiernan, who scored two goals on Thursday and now has five goals through just two games – one more than he tallied during his freshman season. “We put in countless hours.”

The work didn’t whittle away at the program’s participation numbers but rather added to them.

Discovery Canyon has 58 players out for soccer, prompting the addition of a C team for the first time in seven years.

“Initially, when I got here, there was this idea that we’re not a soccer school,” Montalvan said. “And we are.”

The results have been instant. The Thunder led the Spartans 4-0 on Thursday before a pair of headers from Doherty senior Allen White in the latter portion of the second half pushed the final tally much closer in a matchup that was delayed by lightning.

Discovery Canyon also topped Liberty 3-0 on Tuesday behind McKiernan’s hat trick.

Last year Doherty and Liberty outscored DCC 4-0 in a pair of Thunder losses.

Still, if any team knows better than to read too much into a 2-0 start, it is DCC.

The team was also 2-0 last year before finishing 3-12. Granted, this start has come against better competition than last year’s, but a team coming off six consecutive losing seasons isn’t going to jump to conclusions.

Montalvan, who coaches with a fiery intensity, isn’t the type to focus on results. He has coached all over the country, and world, during his time in the military and has learned that the expectation is only 80 minutes of his team’s best.

But for a team that hasn’t seen its efforts translate to victories with regularity, the instant gratification from this start has been a nice bonus and something new they can share together.

“I love to see it,” McKiernan said. “It’s incredible.”