Georgetown - Three And A Half  Star Class Ranking - The Hoyas hope to duplicate much of what they accomplished last season, only with a few more wins.  Last year Georgetown was 11-5-3 overall with a 5-3-3 record in Big East play which was good for a third place finish in the league’s Blue Division.  Heading into the 2009 campaign, Georgetown belongs on the short list of programs that look to be on the rise.  Coach Brian Wiese, who will enter his fourth season at the helm of the Blue and Grey in 2009, will welcome a very talented and promising six member recruiting class to the Hilltop to supplement a solid group of returning players.  Wiese stated, “We expect big contributions to the program from all six of these boys, and expect them to help Georgetown continue our rise within the Big East.”  The recruits have a solid record of competitive play at both the club and high school levels.   The class includes midfielder Jimmy Nealis from Massapequa, New York who was an NSCAA High School All-American and was named the New York State Player of the Year.   There should be a lot of competition for the two starting slots left vacant due to the graduation of forward Peter Grasso (7g, 2a) who was the Hoya’s leading scorer and center midfielder Corey Zeller (3g, 2a) who was a four year starter.  The fact that Wiese has played a lot of young players over the past two seasons should prove to be a plus for Georgetown in 2009.  The Hoyas should again be very solid on the defensive side of the ball as they were in 2008 when they allowed opponents to net a total of only sixteen goals in route to recording ten shutouts.  Georgetown’s success in the early going in 2009 will likely hinge heavily on defensive productivity pending the ability of the offense to gel and for some new faces to step forward to add balance to the attack.  Senior Len Coleman, who has been a starter in the back for three seasons, returns to anchor what should be a very solid and experienced backline.  Senior Mark Zeman (0g, 5a), who also has three years of starting experience under his belt, and junior center back Alex Verdi round out the Hoya backline.  Juniors  Matthew Brutto who started eleven contests last year and Mark Wilber who started eight matches return to give Georgetown two experienced and capable netminders.  The Hoyas forwards have the potential to be very good but they are somewhat untested.  Returning forwards include juniors Jose Colchao (1g, 0a) and Chandler Diggs (2g, 1a) and sophomores Uche Onyeador (1g, 1a) and David Madison (2g, 0a) who should play a greater role in 2009.  Senior Scott Larrabee (4g, 3a) will be counted upon for offensive productivity as an outside midfielder.  Larrabee is a solid playmaker with the ability to take attack at speed down the side and to serve in well placed and timed crosses.  Juniors Seth C’deBaca (3g, 3a) and Robert Burnett (1g, 0a) are among other returning starting midfielders who Wiese will count on in 2009.  C’deBaca adds balance to the attack while Burnett is a very effective defensive midfielder.  Junior Ibu Otegbeye (0g, 2a), who missed most of the 2008 campaign due to a knee injury, returns to add creativity to the attack as a midfielder or out of the back.  In 2008 Georgetown got off to a great start winning their first five contests during which time they scored thirteen goals while holding their opponents scoreless.  They will be hard pressed to duplicate that in 2009 with a dance card that includes California, UCLA, and St. John’s in the early going.  While the trend line under Wiese’s direction is clearly upward, the program at Georgetown has by no means reached the point where it is a given that they will challenge for one of the top spots in the Big East Conference race and an NCAA Tourney berth.  The Hoyas certainly have the potential to go dancing in 2009 but then again they may still be a year and another recruiting class away. 

 

Ian Christianson - Cedar Rapids, Iowa - Midfielder - Christian Life High School - Played with Chicago Fire’s U.S. Development Academy - U.S. National Team Pool member - Region III Team.

 

Matt Hammett - Centennial, Colorado -  Midfielder -  Smoky Hill High School - All-State selection - Member Colorado ODP team - Plays with Real Colorado U.S. Development team.  

 

Mark Luxana - Brooklyn, New York - Forward - The Packer Collegiate Institute - Played with the U-17 Haitian National Team - Member of the U.S. Development Academy Met Oval team. 

 

Tommy Muller - Altamonte Springs, Florida - Midfielder - Trinity Preparatory - Member of the Super Y ODP National Team - Member Florida ODP team - Played for Orlando FC. 

 

James Nealis - Massapequa, New York - Midfielder - Massapequa High School - NSCAA High School All-American - Named New York State Player of the Year - Had 33 career goals.

 

Andy Riemer - McLean, Virginia - Midfielder - Georgetown Prep - Played with the Potomac Academy U-18 team - Three-year All-Conference selection - Second Team All-Met