Provided by Lyndsay Radnedge, professional photographer. Instagram: @el_radical_photos

Beyond composure and focus, Laszlo Bollyky (‘22) defines his goalkeeping through instinct and decisiveness. “Whenever you think a lot while playing, you have more inhibition, and you end up with less fluidity,” Bollyky said. “Playing off of instinct can be stronger and more effective.”

Soccer goalie Laszlo Bollyky (’22) keeps a single moment frozen on his phone wallpaper: a photo from the 2020 soccer Central Coast Section finals, in the split second after he saved a penalty kick to give Harker the championship title. In the frame, his teammates are rushing toward him in celebration. 

While that snapshot serves as a constant reminder of past glory, Bollyky knows his current position at Stanford University demands a forward-looking focus. No longer just a high school champion, he is now vying for the starting goalkeeper spot on a Division I roster that leaves no room for hesitation.

“I like being the ‘man in the arena’ and stepping forward,” Bollyky said. “You have to be ready at a moment’s notice. Having the pressure and the high stakes of if you make a mistake can be incredibly costly. You always have to be switched on.”

Bollyky just wrapped up his second season with the Cardinals in December after their NCAA tournament run. Out of the 48 teams invited to the Division I tournament, the Cardinals placed among the final 16 programs in the country.

Bollyky structures his schedule around his training to keep his body sharp in season from August to December. He wakes around 9 a.m., stacking late-morning classes. He spends afternoons at the training facility at Laird Q Cagan Stadium for trainings and meetings, before winding down early at night to sleep at 10 p.m. 

Out of season, his routine shifts earlier, as he wakes up at 5:45 a.m. several days a week for lifts and training sessions, followed by classes and strength-based work rather than specific game preparation.

Bollyky believes that this schedule represents one of the biggest changes from high school to college soccer, where recovery takes on a central part of performance. 

“Getting the nine to 10 hours is incredibly beneficial, especially as a goalie,” Bollyky said. “Sharpness, reflexes and overall alertness are so imperative. In high school, I would sometimes prioritize hanging out with friends and stay up late. Getting that extra sleep in college when you have a little more control over your schedule is really nice.”

After trainings and games, he resets in a way that is both physical and mental. During recovery sessions, he watches film of the day’s training or of previous games to develop areas for improvement.

“I like to compartmentalize everything,” Bollyky said. “I have a journal for all the trainings and I write my thoughts on the training, more so about the mentality that I had and less about the outcomes of the training. Once I write that and I close the book, it’s done. I leave it in the past, I move on to the next one, starting to prepare for whatever the next opportunity is.”

As a goalie, one action can define a match. However, Bollyky has realized that carrying the weight of the previous play can be damaging. At Stanford, that fact is distilled into a simple principle that governs how he responds to both success and failure. 

“One of the main phrases of our team is ‘next play,’” Bollyky said. “If you do something really well, next play. If you make a mistake and concede a goal, next play. If the other team scores a phenomenal goal and it feels like they have momentum, next play. You can only control what you can control.”

He tries to complement that mindset with a style of play built on instinct. Thinking or stressing too much in the moment can interrupt the habits training is supposed to automate.

“Whenever you think a lot while playing, you have more inhibition, and you end up with less fluidity. Playing off of instinct can be stronger and more effective. You trust your training and trust all the tools that you’ve been sharpening and honing, and you try to keep your mind blank.”

Bollyky’s route to D-I soccer didn’t follow the direct pipeline athletes often pursue. While Bollyky played varsity keeper across all four years for Harker and competed at the MLS Next level with the club Silicon Valley Soccer Academy (SVSA), the highest level for youth, colleges did not recruit him for soccer.

After he arrived at Stanford as a student, he reached out to the staff about walking on. He was faced with a reality that challenged his past self.

“I immediately talked to [Stanford head coach Paul Krumpe], and basically, I wasn’t quite at the level,” Bollyky said. “I spent the first little bit messing around, doing intramural soccer, playing for fun, not taking it too seriously, but I realized there’s something missing in my life.”

That recognition led to a turning-point summer in Valencia, Spain. Bollyky took an opportunity to train and play with a fourth-division club through a program called Eture. He also rebuilt his fitness for the college level, exercising daily to add 4 pounds and an inch to his height. Soon when he returned, he earned a temporary training opportunity from Krumpe that later became permanent. 

The jump to the collegiate level brought immediate, harsh lessons in physicality. Early in the season, Bollyky broke both pinkies but refused to stop training, playing through the fractures to prove he belonged on the roster.

“I am incredibly proud of where I am now, but I know that this is just the beginning of something bigger and that there’s a lot more in store for me,” Bollyky said. “Every single one of the guys who’s either graduating or going pro or who’s even going to stay in the locker room for this next year is a brother for life, and I wouldn’t give it up for the world.”

As plans for his future at Stanford, Bollyky is focused on earning the number-one goalie spot for Stanford. Beyond college, he hopes the game will keep opening doors, whether professionally or abroad. 

“If you actually want to try and play at the next level or at the highest level possible, you can always be doing more work,” Bollyky said. “You need to be going individually on your own. You need to be making friends who have the same goals, the same determination, the same ambition, and you can always find ways. If you’re really truly hungry for something, then you’ll figure out a way to get it done.”