CARY, N.C. – Leo Stolz is in no rush.
UCLA’s star central midfielder will savor this weekend’s College Cup, deliberately taking in the final moments of his Bruins career with a level of perspective uncommon for most college seniors.
Of course, not much is typical about Stolz, a 23-year-old German who’s one of most highly regarded players in the NCAA and a likely top-five pick at January’s MLS SuperDraft.
“He’s very cerebral,” UCLA head coach Jorge Salcedo told MLSsoccer.com on Thursday, ahead of his team’s College Cup semifinal against Providence at WakeMed Soccer Park on Friday. “He’s a worldly kid, understands the way the world works, and cares about certain topics that maybe most college kids don’t.”
While it’s not rare for college programs to recruit from abroad – there are 10 players that prepped overseas among the four teams at this weekend’s College Cup – most of those players only come stateside after exhausting all attempts at a career at home. That's not the case for Stolz, who grew up in 1860 Munich’s academy and was offered a pro contract by the 2.Bundesliga side, only to turn it down to attend George Mason University, where he played for one year before transferring to UCLA after the 2011 season.
His main motivation for coming to the US? The ability to continue his soccer career while pursuing an education. Stolz, who will graduate next week with a degree in Political Science and a concentration in International Relations, values that education so much that he turned down a second pro offer last year, declining a Generation adidas contract from MLS.
“My family back home, my mom and dad they both have their masters degrees and they wanted me to continue to do schooling,” said Stolz, who trained with both Chivas USA and Real Salt Lake in the last year. “I like the environment at UCLA, and that’s why I decided to come back.”
That decision has been a boon for the Bruins, who find themselves in their 14th College Cup and first since 2011. A finalist for the 2013 MAC Hermann Trophy given to the best player in the nation, Stolz has built upon his fantastic junior season this year, leading UCLA with nine goals and six assists in 22 games.
He’ll try to put a bow on his college career this weekend, as he looks to lead UCLA to a semifinal win and a shot in the final against either Virginia or the University of Maryland-Baltimore County.
"Winning would be the best," Stolz said. "To finish school with a degree and with a national championship, I would love to end it that way."
Next up for Stolz will be the MLS Combine, then the SuperDraft and the beginnings of what looks to be a promising pro career.
“Leo’s just an all-around fantastic young man,” Salcedo said. “He’s a fantastic talent that, really any team that he goes to, he can make better.”
