As Stanford men’s soccer looks to make a deep run in the NCAA tournament and win the ACC, junior midfielder Zach Bohane is going to be a big part of what they do. Bohane shared his thoughts on the new season with CardinalSportsReport.com and what he’s most enjoyed about playing soccer on The Farm.
At this time of year with the regular season just days away, Bohane loves the time he gets to spend time with his teammates both on and off the field. He feels like they’re a close unit and that they have an environment where everyone is committed to helping each other become the best they can be.
“I think in this preseason especially, it’s just hanging out with the team,” Bohane said of what he most enjoys about being at Stanford. “We have a month until school starts, so it’s just time at the locker room and then once we get back it’s just hanging out with the team playing board games, playing the mafia, and so that just helps us become so much closer and better on the field. So I just love being out here. I love playing soccer. So this is like the best time of the year.”
In addition to his teammates, Bohane is also grateful for head coach Jeremy Gunn and the way he leads the program. He likes how Gunn pushes them to be the best they can be and gets the most out of them every single match. If they are ever lacking in energy, Gunn is there to give them the boost that they need.
“He’s a great coach. He definitely expects a lot out of us and it pushes me every single day to be a better player. So, I think we know if we don’t bring the energy as a team he’s gonna help bring it for us and I mean, I learn more about the game every single day and he loves the game truly. So, it brings the best out of us as a team.”
Stanford has already played three exhibition matches this season with a 2-0-1 record. They did not give up a goal and that has given them a lot of confidence that they are playing quality defense and ready to get off to a good start with the regular season beginning against San Jose State this week.
“Looking good. I mean, we went three games, all three exhibition games without conceding a goal so that obviously checks that off the box and then we scored two goals in the past two games, which is what we’re going for,” Bohane said of how he’s feeling about the team. “We need to start scoring some more, but that will come. I think the team is in a good spot and we just gotta keep building. Obviously, we gotta keep getting better every day and hopefully we get that win on Thursday against San Jose State when it matters.”
Personally, Bohane has been working on becoming a player that is capable of doing a variety of things on the field. He wants to be a multidimensional playmaker that can score from a variety of different spots and be a leader for his team.
“I think just being more of a well-rounded player and whether it depends on the game where I can play inside or play on the right,” Bohane said of what he’s working on. “So not being just a one-dimensional player and yeah, so I’ve just been working on being comfortable in the pocket, being comfortable in the midfield, being comfortable out wide, and hopefully being a better teammate, being a better leader for my teammates as well.”
At this time of year, Bohane makes sure to not overload himself with schoolwork. He takes a lighter course load so that he can focus more of his energy on soccer. At the same time, he values his education and the doors that a degree from Stanford will open for him in the future. He’s happy with the balance he has found between academics and athletics.
“I’m studying Science, Technology, & Society, and some people say it’s the athlete major, but it’s a degree from Stanford, so I’m happy with that and I focus on school, but during this time I like to keep my class load pretty light,” Bohane explained. “Just so I can take that extra time to watch film, do all that stuff so I can be better on the field, but definitely focus on school a lot. There’s some nights where I stay up studying, but it’s a good balance and I think we all make the most out of it.”
Something that has been a real source of strength for Bohane during his time at Stanford is his family. His brother Noah plays soccer for Santa Clara and they are always rooting for each other’s success. The entire family loves the sport, giving them something to bond over.
“It’s pretty awesome,” Bohane said of having his brother play nearby. “We actually played a behind closed doors scrimmage against them this preseason without the coaches. I just texted him. I was like hey do you want to scrimmage us. So we got a cool scrimmage going and we always call after our games. He came to my game today. I came to his game on Thursday or something. So yeah. Our family just loves soccer. We’re always talking about it and he’s rooting for me and it’s honestly so nice having his support and then I’m his number one fan, too.”
While he still has his brother nearby, Bohane and the rest of the Stanford team will be logging more hours on planes as they compete in the ACC. Bohane is excited for the opportunity and the chance for the program to compete against some of the best teams in the nation.
“It’s so awesome. If you see our schedule it’s like one ranked opponent after another and we live for that stuff and we got some cool road games,” Bohane said of playing in the ACC. “So, I think we’re all just so excited for this new opportunity.”
When talking to Bohane, it’s clear that he is excited for the new season. He loves his team, his coach, and the challenge that awaits in the ACC. It’ll be fun to see how he performs and what kind of season the Cardinal have.
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