Bolt Doing It All For the 49ers
by Matt Zimmerman, Long Beach Press-Telegram
October 29, 2005 See Hayley Bolt run … to steal the ball. See Bolt, a freshman midfielder, pass to an open teammate, and find open space to receive the return pass.
See Hayley Bolt flick a one-touch pass to another open teammate, and move into position. See Hayley Bolt and her number 9 jersey rise up to head a high kick into the net for a goal, see the crowd at the Long Beach State women's soccer games go wild.
This is a soccer player who just two years ago was nervous with the prospect of not only joining the Olympic Developmental Program, but also of playing in college?
As a matter of fact …
"My confidence wasn't anywhere close to what it is now," Bolt said. "I was a little bit inconsistent my freshman and sophomore year in high school. When I was on, I was on, and when I was off, I was like, ohmigosh, I shouldn't even be out on the field."
At Los Alamitos High, Bolt was part of a group that came in with high expectations, and fulfilled them as she and five of her classmates earned scholarships to play soccer at Division I universities, including LBSU teammate and roommate Julie Megorden. The Griffins also succeeded as a team, winning the CIF Southern Section Division I title last season as Bolt was named "Defensive" Player of the Year due to the CIF only honoring one offensive player.
Before that spectacular senior season, Bolt had finally given in to then-Long Beach City College coach Mauricio Ingrassia's overtures to attend ODP camp, going to Idaho the summer of 2004.
"Before that, I tried to get her out a couple times, maybe she was a little bit overwhelmed with all the good players there, maybe she didn't believe in herself as much as I did, and other people did," said Ingrassia, now in his second year with LBSU. "She came out, she realized, 'Maybe I am this good," and just took off from there. Led her team to a CIF title, and she's a big reason why we're where we are today."
Where the 49ers (12-4-2, 3-2-1) are today is in third place in the Big West Conference, having secured a spot in the top four and the conference tournament for the first time, and with an opportunity to play spoiler against a team that needs a victory or a tie to take the conference title. The regular season ends today at 1 p.m as second-place Cal State Fullerton comes to George Allen Field, where LBSU is undefeated at 9-0.
The 49ers have only one senior to honor today backup goalie Meghan Hartwyk and have seen a renaissance this season with Bolt and six other starting freshmen helping provide a spark. Of the nine total freshmen, Bolt says she was the last to commit.
"My personality, I am just really indecisive," said Bolt, who also considered Washington State, San Diego and Pepperdine. "Like, should I do this, will I regret it? If I'm over there, will I think, oh, I should have went to that school? All those thoughts go through your head."
If Bolt is indecisive at times, it's not when she has the ball at her feet. She has seven goals and a team-leading eight assists, and also has established a program record for shots with 66.
Though Bolt had the game-winning goal as the 49ers won at Pacific 1-0 to open conference play a month ago, it was not a complete auspicious Big West beginning as she injured her left wrist in a fall after making contact with a Tigers player. She had to sit out the Cal State Northridge game two days later before getting a hard cast for the next two games, and now wears a soft cast as the injury heals.
"Before the (CSUN) game, Mauricio had all the girls write number 9 and number 3 on their arms, because me and Natalie (Messina), were both injured, we couldn't play," Bolt said of herself and junior defender Natalie Messina. "So seeing that, just sitting there, knowing that you can't do anything, you can't go in there, you can't try to change it, you just have to sit there and try to cheer on your team as loud as you can. And it sucks, because when you're out there, used to playing and helping your team out, and you're just sitting on the sideline, helpless. It's a bad feeling, but you have to deal with it."
Having already figuratively left the sidelines to give the ODP a shot last year, Bolt returned to the 49ers at her first opportunity, and they have gone 4-1-1 (2-1-1 BWC) down the stretch. Bolt said meeting future LBSU teammates like fellow freshman starters Kim Silos, Tiffany Vaught, Sahar Haghdan and Liz Ramos at the ODP camp in Idaho helped her make her decision to join them as a 49er, and their first postseason taste is five days away.
"I'm so thankful that I pushed myself and made myself get out of my comfort zone in order to play," Bolt said. "It definitely made me mature as a player, and you have to be so much more focused mentally. It helped me so much soccer-wise, mentally, emotionally, and physically. It was an awesome experience, and I don't regret it at all." |
