Season in Review: Virginia Tech

It was an interesting match in Charlottesville between Virginia Tech and UVA during the regular season. Kind of hard to know whom to cheer for, since I like both teams. But, as Tech alumnus, I had to pull for the Hokies.

That said, I felt that UVAclearly had the more deeply talented side. Patrick Nyarko, though, the Tech forward, was clearly and by far the best player on the pitch. He is the best college soccer player I have ever seen, period.

At any rate, the match ended a 1-1 draw. I really felt that UVA had the better chances, and almost won the match. But the thing about Tech, as I have said for two years now, is that they are extremely well coached. Oliver Weiss and his staff get "more than all"out of each one of their players. Tech is extremely disciplined, patient, and organized, and play superb positional soccer. They exceeded all expectations, certainly mine, by making it to the final four of the NCAA College Cup.

In the Elite Eight, Tech beat an absolutely awesome UConn team in Storrs, CT. Unbelievable. I felt certain Tech would lose. My heart said they would go on and win it all. My head said, though, that Wake Forest, Tech's semifinal opponent, was too strong, too talented, and with too high a soccer IQ for Tech to beat.

My head was right. The 2-0 scoreline could have been much worse. Tech degenerated into bootball almost from then get-go. The reason they did was because Wake Forest was putting very heavy pressure on the ball, and that rattled Tech for pretty much the whole match. Those few times Tech did settle down and play to feet, Tech was dangerous. But such interludes were all too few and all too fleeting. Wake Forest dominated this match, and once it was over I knew WFU would win it all, which they did.

But this season Virginia Tech put itself on the college soccer map. I remember what Virginia Tech football coach Frank Beamer said after Tech won the 1995 Sugar Bowl. He said, "It's a new day for Virginia Tech", meaning, Tech football was now a major player on the national scene. Beamer proved quite prescient that day.

With Tech's rise to the NCAA Final Four this season, I say it is a "new day" for Virginia Tech soccer.

~ Ron