From University of Rochester Athletics
As a soccer player at the University of Rochester, Gisli Hjalmtysson '87 (#9 in the photo above) helped the Yellowjackets succeed on the field. After transferring to the University from the University of Iceland, he played for two seasons in Rochester colors. UR reached the ECAC playoffs in his junior year, then earned its first NCAA Division III playoff bid in 1986, his senior season. The team's two-year record was 21-7 (15-4 in 1986). He was second in scoring as a junior (6 goals, 3 assists) and led the team in scoring as a senior (12 goals, 5 assists).
He was chosen twice as an All-New York State all-star and an All-Region all-star. Away from the field, he graduated with a degree in applied mathematics and computer science. He earned his MS in 1992 and his PhD in 1995 in computer science at the University of California at Santa Barbara. He was inducted into the UR Athletic Hall of Fame in 2012.
During the month of June, his passion for soccer and his homeland has increased exponentially with Iceland's success in the European Nations Cup. He graciously agreed to talk with the Athletic Communications Office on Iceland's success and his career at Rochester.
Fans around the world were shocked at the England-Iceland result. The British press identified the match as England losing to "minnows Iceland". Were you as surprised as the rest of the world?
I think we were all realistic about our chances - so in a sense - YES. That being said, to earn our place in the Euro 2016, Iceland beat Holland (twice), Turkey, and the Czech Republic, then in the tournament a tie with Portugal, and a win against Austria.
Watching how the game developed, I felt that the English team wore out mentally surprisingly early in the game. Many of our players play in England and seemed to be more comfortable than in some of the previous games.
Your heart must have been soaring when the referee blew for time.
Absolutely. I was screaming and so was everyone around me.
What does it mean to you, as an Icelander to see the team play this well and advance this far?
Surreal. Growing up playing soccer in Iceland you learned to accept that making it to a major tournament was a practical impossibility. It is almost childishly exciting to feel a part of it, if only by excessive screaming.
Three heavyweights lurk in the distance – France (on Sunday in the quarterfinals) and a win would bring either Germany or Italy next to earn a spot in the final. After the win over England, do you think anyone in the French camp is looking past Iceland?
I think it would be ill advised. Not wanting to give them any pointers, but what the French should take from our playbook is to take it one game at a time. Still, it must be hard for them not to feel lucky that it is Iceland, rather than England.
France has the home team's curse – playing a major championship on home soil. Is there more pressure on France to win on Sunday than there is on Iceland?
Clearly. I saw two games with Les Bleus while in Paris last week– the pressure on them is enormous. In the bars of Paris the unabashed expectation and demand is for them to win the Cup. This is on top of the pressure of being higher ranked and higher paid that seems to have been overbearing to our other opponents. This will play to our advantage.
On the flip side, I think home field has its advantages and I believe they are the best team we have met in this tournament so far by some margin.
The media are making a big deal out of Iceland's success and the fact that they have never won either a World Cup qualifier or a Nations'Cup qualifier. What makes this Iceland team different?
To me it is simple – it's better – at a number of levels. Iceland has produced top level individuals before, but Iceland has never before had a national team able to play consistently at this level. The core of this team brought Iceland to the European Nations Cup U21 (first time for Iceland), and has played together at the international level since then. This team represents a first generation of Icelandic footballers who grew up playing year round in indoor soccer halls, being coached by professional coaches since they were five years old (a UEFA B-level license required to coach U10).
And then there is the Viking chant !!! the "Ooh" chant – it has to be intimidating.
Did you play youth soccer in Iceland? When did you start playing? What was it like?
I played soccer in Iceland since the age of 10, and at senior level from age 16. From the age of 14 and until I started college, life revolved around soccer. I played for Iceland's U16 and was captain of the U18 team, and played in the predecessor to the Champions League.
My second international game (U16) was in Nice against France where we tied a superior side. It was a fantastic experience – since then I have always fancied Les Bleus and the France style of football.
It was a six-nation tournament played between Christmas and New Years on the grassy fields in Nice. Compared to the heated indoor soccer halls with modern soccer turf pitches that scatter Iceland today, our facilities were modest . We prepared in Reykjavík for the tournament practicing on snow covered gravel pitches.
At the University of Iceland, did you play for the soccer team?
In Europe, soccer is not a college level activity. I played with a local Reykjavík club - Fram – although, in Iceland like most of Europe you essentially choose between sport and college.
You transferred to the University of Rochester in time for your junior year. What was the driving force to have you transfer here?
I came to Rochester as a Fulbright scholar. I had finished two years of EE (Electrical Engineering) at the University of Iceland. To me it sounded like a great opportunity and a lot of fun. It turned out to be a transformational experience for me.
In a feature story published in 2014 on Brian Prince '86 as a Garnish Citation winner, he said you were standing on the hill watching the UR practice and asked to try out. What do you remember about that?
Brian was the captain when I arrived – he later explained that "walk-ons" were usually cut quickly. I admit that I did come to Rochester for school and not really for soccer. Before leaving Iceland, a friend of mine, suggested that the UofR might have a soccer team (note this was before Facebook). I decided to check it out. It was late in the pre-season, but Coach (George) Perry invited me to try out. I don´t regret it – all my best friends from my time in Rochester are through soccer.
In your senior year, Rochester was selected for the NCAA Division III playoffs and matched against RIT. Earlier in the year, RIT won, 5-0. In the NCAAs, UR won, 2-0. What do you remember about that match?
It was a while ago. RIT was in my opinion the best playing soccer team we encountered in my two years at Rochester. We had improved significantly, and in part with the 5-0 loss in mind, we were determined. It was a cold afternoon – I came prepared and dressed up in essentially long-johns under my uniform causing a commotion in the locker room – me being an Icelander and all. We managed to get ahead, on my goal in the first half. They came back (trying for) an equalizer. Our game clincher came late in the game from Chris Boehning after a give-n-go with me, before putting it away. I can still remember his face, when for a moment he wasn´t sure he was getting the ball back. It was a great night for all of us and a sweet victory.