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BLACKSBURG, Va.- The Virginia Tech men’s soccer program announced the signings of eight student athletes to National Letters of Intent for the 2009-2010 academic year. Robert Alberti, Connor Coons, Gregory Cochrane, Collin McNew, Alistair Moore, Patrick Ryan, Joseph Vidmar and Gregory Weimer will take the pitch this fall for the Hokies.

“We are very pleased to sign these eight student-athletes to National Letters of Intent,” said head coach Oliver Weiss. “This class will help us get back on the right track in 2009. Many of these players have the ability to play multiple positions. This flexibility will give us more strength and depth during the fall season. We welcome these new Hokies to our program.”

Robert Alberti comes to Tech from Hampton, Va. The 5’11” forward/midfielder played four years at the varsity level for Kecoughtan High School. A captain his junior and senior year; Alberti was named first team All-District, All-State and All-Region during his junior campaign in which his team made the Virginia State semi-finals. Alberti played for the Virginia Legacy Wizards club team for five seasons, where his team reached the state cup finals four times during his stint.

Weiss on Alberti: “Robert is a hard-working forward and a good crosser of the ball. He has a knack for scoring big goals in tight situations.”

Connor Coons, a native of Alpharetta, Ga., is a 6’3” defender/midfielder who was a four-year letter-winner at Chattahochee High School. A team captain for three of his four seasons, Coons garnered All-County and All-Region first-team honors his junior season, while his team was nationally ranked in 2007 and in 2008. He is also a member of the Atlanta Fire United U18 Academy along with the NASA 08 Elite club teams. With NASA 08 Elite, Coons helped lead the team to the 2008 Georgia state title and guided them to the regional finals that same season.

Weiss on Coons: “Connor is a central defender with good feet and a great presence in the air.”

Gregory Cochrane is a 5’8” defender and midfielder from Holland, Pa. He was a four-year starter for Council Rock High School South. In his junior and senior seasons, Cochrane was named All-Suburban One League first team and was a member of the Courier Times Golden Team, while compiling 18 goals and 22 assists during his four-year career and was named team captain, along with being the team MVP, his senior season. A member of FC DELCO Hammerheads club team, Cochrane was a five-time US Youth Soccer Regional Champion and Eastern Pennsylvania State Champion, where he led the team to the US Soccer National finals in 2006 and third-place finishes in 2007 and 2008.

Weiss on Cochrane: “Greg is a left-footed flank player who can see time as an outside midfielder or as defender. He is a quality passer of the ball and can help in the attack coming from a deep position.”

Collin McNew, a Roswell, Ga., native, is a 6’2” midfielder out of Alan C. Pope High School, where he was a four-year lettermen and team captain his senior season. McNew, a Georgia ODP participant, competed with the Atlanta Fire United ’09 Elite club team for the past eight seasons. During his stint with the organization his team was the Georgia State Champions in 2006 and a state finalist in 2008. He also helped his team win the Disney Showcase Championship in 2007 and led them to the finals of the same tournament in 2008.

Weiss on McNew: “Collin plays a holding or defensive midfielder position. He has a great frame with good ball skills and is a tough ball winner.”

Alistair Moore, a native of Blacksburg, Va., is a 5’11”forward and midfielder. Moore competed at Blacksburg High School as a varsity letter-winner for four seasons, while helping guide his team in becoming the 2007 Virginia AA State Champions. During his junior season he garnered first-team All-District and honorable mention All-Region honors. Moore played his club soccer with SYC Jr. Royals, for two seasons, and the Roanoke Star, for three years. With the SYC Jr. Royals he assisted in the team capturing the 2007 Virginia State Championship and helped guide the squad to the 2008 Region semi-finals.

Weiss on Moore: “Alistair can play wide in midfield on either side. His pace and attacking attitude makes him a good asset for our program.”

Patrick Ryan is a 5’11” midfielder and forward from Rensselaer, N.Y. Ryan attended Columbia High School were he was an All-Section recipient. He played his club soccer ball with the Blackwatch FC for three years and helped lead the squad to a No. 4 ranking in the country after placing third in the prestigious Surf Cup tournament.

Weiss on Ryan: “Patrick is a very dynamic midfielder. He can also play as a withdrawn forward. He scores or assists from any position and can have an immediate impact on the field this fall.”

Joseph Vidmar a 5’11’ defender and midfielder from Columbia, Md., is a four-year varsity letter-winner at McDonogh High School. Vidmar captained the team his senior season, while receiving first-team All-State, All-South, All-Metro, All-Maryland Interscholastic Athletic Association (MIAA) and NSCAA/adidas All-American honors, along with being named the Maryland State Player of the Year in 2008. He helped his team win back-to-back MIAA Championships in 2007 and 2008, while leading the team to an undefeated season in his senior year. Vidmar also competed for the Baltimore Casa Mia Bays club team for four seasons, helping the team to a Maryland state title in 2007.

Weiss on Vidmar: “Joe is another left-footed player who plays the outside back position well. He is very intelligent about his positioning and tackles with precision. Another product of the Casa Mia Bays program from Maryland.”

Gregory Weimer is a native of Venetia, Pa., where he attends Peter Township High School. The 6’0” defender was a four-year varsity member and a three-year letter-winner for the program. Weimer assisted in his team’s Pennsylvania Interscholastic Athletic Associations 2007 State Championship run, along with being a finalist this past season. A captain during his senior campaign, Weimer received All-Section, All-District and All-State honors in 2008, while registering three game-winning goals from the back line in his final season with Peter Township.

Weiss on Weimer: “A versatile defender who can play wide or centrally in the back. His ball winning tenacity and good tackling will make him a candidate for any of the defender slots.”

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