Virginia Tech - (Two And A Half Star Class Ranking) - Oliver Weiss has announced the signing of a ten member recruiting class with a few more newcomers expected to join the class before it is all said and done.  Weiss stated, “This class will help us get back on the right track in 2009.”  From a resume standpoint, the marquee player of the class is defender Joseph Vidmar from Owings Mills, Maryland out of McDonogh High School.  Vidmar was named the Maryland Player of the Year in 2008 and played club for the highly competitive Baltimore Bays.   The class is noteworthy in that many of the members have played for successful club programs that have fared well in State Cup competition.  Whether or not this group has what it takes to jump start the Hokies and get the program back up to speed in 2009 in the highly competitive Atlantic Coast Conference is debatable.   What is not debatable is the fact that all things considered Weiss has clearly done an excellent job of making the Virginia Tech program competitive.  Under Weiss the Hokies have consistently been greater than the sum of their individual parts.  However the 2008 campaign was not a banner season for the Hokies who were 5-13-1 overall with a 0-8-0 mark in ACC play.  Virginia Tech took a major fall in 2008 after going 14-4-5 overall in 2007 and advancing to the Final Four for the first time in the history of the program.   The decision of  All-American and three time First Team All-ACC forward Patrick Nyarko to forgo the 2008 campaign to enter the professional ranks combined with several untimely injuries clearly hurt the Hokies in 2008 but no one anticipated the free fall that occurred.  After the 2008 campaign Virginia Tech may be back to wondering how long it is going to be before they can really compete in the ACC on a consistent basis. On the positive side of the ledger, the Hokie roster in 2008 included only three seniors which means that pretty much everyone is back.  The departed seniors are midfielders Scott Dillie (4g, 0) and Demanya Dogbey (0g, 1a) and defender Taylor Walsh (0g, 2a).  Senior midfielder James Gilson (6g, 4a) from Greenwood Lake, New York and sophomore forward Emmanuel Akogyeram (6g, 1a) from Labone, Ghana are among returning players who are very capable finishers. Junior center midfielder Charlie Campbell returns to the pitch in 2009 after redshirting the 2008 season.  Campbell was a starter in 2006 and 2007 and will add an additional dimension and degree of toughness to the Hokie attack.  Senior central back Alexander Baden from Visselhovede, Germany, who redshirted the 2008 season due to injury, returns to significantly strengthen the Virginia Tech defense.  Junior back James Shupp is among other returning experienced defenders who must hold their own in the back in order for the Hokies to get back on track.  The goalkeeper position looks to be up for grabs heading into the 2009 season with several players including senior Brendan Dunn in the hunt for the starting role.  Last year Virginia Tech allowed opponents to put the ball in the back of the net a total of forty-seven times.  Cautious optimism seems to exist at Blacksburg heading into the 2009 season but it is pretty clear that the status quo will not cut it on the defensive side of the ball.   Look for some new faces to make a contribution at Virginia Tech in 2009 and for the Hokies to rebound but more likely than not Weiss and company are a year or two and a few players away from a winning season.   

 

Robert Alberti - Hampton, Virginia - Forward - Kecoughtan High School - All-State and All-District selection - Played club for the Virginia Legacy Wizards for five seasons.   

 

Connor Coons - Alpharetta, Georgia - Defender - Chattahoochee High School - All-County and All-Region selection - Played club for the Atlanta Fire United U-18 Academy - A tough ball winner.

 

Gregory Cochrane - Holland, Pennsylvania - Defender - Council Rock High School South - All-Suburban One League First Team selection - Played club for FC Delco Hammerheads.

 

Collin McNew - Roswell, Georgia - Midfielder - Alan C. Pope High School - Georgia ODP team member - Played club with the Atlanta Fire United Elite.  A 6’2” holding midfielder.

 

Allstair Moore - Blacksburg, Virginia - Forward - Blacksburg High School - First Team All-District - Played club soccer with SYC Jr. Royals and the Roanoke Star. 

 

Patrick Ryan - Rensselaer, New York - Midfielder - Columbia High School - Played club with Blackwatch FC for three years - All-Section selection.

 

Joseph Vidmar - Columbia, Maryland - Defender - McDonogh High School - NSCAA High School All-American - Maryland Player of the Year - Plays club for Baltimore Bays U-18 Academy Team. 

 

Gregory Weimer - Venetia, Pennsylvania - Defender - Peter Township High School - All-State and All-Section selection - Technically sound player with good size and athletic ability.

 

Patrick Huang - Huntsville, Alabama - Forward - Grissom High School - Member Alabama ODP team and Region III ODP pool - Huntsville Times Super All-Metro Player of the Year.  

 

William Reynolds - Martinsville, Virginia - Goalkeeper - Martinsville High School -  Named Piedmont District Player of the Year - Four year letter-winner - Steady presence between the pipes.