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This spring, from March 4 to April 21, the Hokies are playing a plethora of exhibition matches with colleges of various NCAA divisions and local pro teams. Thus far, Virginia Tech has won three of five exhibitions with four games left to play including two against fellow Atlantic Coast Conference schools, North Carolina and North Carolina State. The team's main reason for scheduling these matches is to get a feel of how the team will function in the upcoming season without its departing seniors.
Coach Oliver Weiss has lost six of his players from last season including captains Chad Steuck and Brent Dillie, both of whom leave Tech having started 80-plus games at their respective positions over the course of their collegiate careers. Both men were considered two of Tech's best defenders and leave major holes to be filled by the younger players on the team. Weiss will take an extra-hard look at the defensive corps during this spring and try to decide which players are able enough to step up and fill the roles of the two departing stars.
Despite being ranked No. 8 in the country at one point and clinching a birth to the NCAA Tournament, the Hokies finished the 2006 season eighth out of nine teams in the ACC. Even with Tech's poor finish in the conference standings, last season was considered one of the most successful in the program's history with the Hokies posting an 11-8-1 record while playing in one of the best conferences in the country.
The Hokies were lead by Patrick Nyarko, a forward from Ghana, who is considered by many including Weiss to be the best player in the country heading into the 2007 season. Nyarko, who will only be a junior in 2007, scored a startling 16 goals last season, 10 more than any other player on Tech's roster.
Two years from now, Nyarko will be coveted by a selection of MLS and European teams desiring his services. For now, the only focus the Ghanaian has is on winning in the upcoming season.
"I just play for the team," Nyarko said. "I don't focus on personal achievements. I just try to make headway."
Nyarko's selflessness combined with his unbelievable ability to play the game at a level that most only dream about has made him the automatic go-to guy for Coach Weiss these past two seasons.
"He's a rallying point," Weiss said of Nyarko. "I've never seen anyone more talented. He's number one in every category."
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