Krioutchenkov Wins USL1 Young Player of the Year

TAMPA, Fla. – Hitting the ground running from the very first game of his professional career, Denis Krioutchenkov turned in quite the performance in his rookie season. The One Knoxville SC forward was rewarded in a big way for his tremendous efforts, taking home the 2026 USL League One Young Player of the Year award on Thursday.

“It’s a great feeling knowing that, everything you’ve worked for from preseason to the end of the season, you have something to show for it,” Krioutchenkov said of winning the award. “Individual awards are nice, but it wouldn’t be possible with everyone around me, my family always supporting me, my teammates putting me in good situations on the field and the coaching staff taking a chance on me.”

Given to the top player in the league under the age of 23 and voted on by each USL1 team’s technical staff and executives, it is the first time that a One Knox player has earned the honor. It is the fourth time a player from the club has been won an end of season award, with Jordan Skelton named Defender of the Year in 2025 and goalkeeper Sean Lewis tabbed for Goalkeeper of the Year in 2025 and 2024.

Appearing in all but one of Knoxville’s 33 USL1 matches this season, the 22-year-old Krioutchenkov proved to be a menace for opposing defenses, leading the club with 11 goals. He also contributed five assists making him the first player in league history eligible for the Young Player of the Year Award to tally at least 10 goals and five assists.

A native of Rehovot, Israel, Krioutchenkov began his professional career by signing with One Knox in January after putting up impressive collegiate numbers at Davidson and Charlotte.

Getting a surprise start in his debut at Westchester SC on March 7, the 6-foot-3 striker quickly made his mark with a brace in just 22 minutes to lead Knoxville to a 3-2 victory.

“To be honest, expectations weren’t too high,” he said of his first season. “Maybe just come off the bench for 15-20 minutes every other game and just try to make a name for myself with those opportunities. Preseason was really hard for me, it was all about learning from the older guys on what it means to be a professional. After that first game, it showed me that the preparation was worth it and that there was nothing to be scared of.

“I was on top of the world after that game and it only gave me more hunger.”

With a discovered confidence despite the lack of experience, Krioutchenkov would become a player that his teammates relied on in front of goal, particularly in big moments. A header in the 85th minute sealed a 1-0 win over the Richmond Kickers on March 27 at Covenant Health Park, earning him USL1 Player of the Month for March.

He and the club then grabbed national headlines just a few weeks later with a signature penalty kick victory over Major League Soccer’s DC United in the Round of 32 of the 2026 Lamar Hunt US Open Cup. Krioutchenkov not only converted his kick from the spot, but also came off the bench to grab a pair of goals to help pull of the monumental upset.

“It’s definitely going to be a core memory,” said Krioutchenkov who scored three goals in 2026 between the US Open Cup and the Prinx Tires USL Cup. “Everything from that game, from the come back to the shootout and just seeing everyone step up. The celebrations afterwards on the field and in the locker room, that was one of the most fun nights I’ve ever had.”

Krioutchenkov would go on to notch a third brace with the club in a 3-0 win at FC Naples on May 2, but then hit a bit of a wall for the summer, scoring just twice over the course of 16 appearances from mid-May through September.

“It was difficult,” he explained. “The season is over 10 months long and that’s something that I’ve never done before. My body was getting tired because I wasn’t used to playing so many games. I took a toll on me, but it helped to have my teammates and the staff get me through it.”

Undeterred by his first real bout of adversity, Krioutchenkov continued to put in the work on the training ground and kept plugging away with each match, whether he was in the starting lineup or coming off the bench.

That resolve paid off in a big way on a rainy night in Fort Wayne, Indiana, when he entered a match against Fort Wayne FC as a substitute and found the back of the net in the 88th minute as One Knox staged a second half comeback for the ages, turning a two-goal halftime deficit into a season-defining 3-2 victory.

It was a catalyst for Krioutchenkov as well, who capped off the regular season with four goals in the final seven matches, helping solidify the Young Player of the Year award.

“It’s just rewarding to know everything we’ve accomplished this year,” he said.

But while the recognition for his rookie season is a proud moment, Krioutchenkov recognizes that this is only the beginning. Following a season that taught him so much, he is already excited for what’s in store for 2027 and beyond.

He also knows that nothing will be given to him just because of this most recent honor. If he wants to keep adding individual and team trophies to his name, he is acutely aware that the work can never stop.

“The most important thing is to continue to have the motivation and drive to get better every day,” he explained. “You get rewarded with individual awards, but at the end of the day for me, it’s about working together as a team and pushing each other every day to achieve the ultimate goal.”