Feb. 23, 2007
Washington, D.C. - Georgetown University head men's soccer coach Brian Wiese has announced that eight student-athletes have signed national letters of intent to join the Hoya program in the Fall of 2007.
"We're very excited to welcome this group of young men to the Hilltop, where I'm confident they'll make great additions to the Georgetown family," Wiese said. "This is our first recruiting class and assistant coaches Zach Samol and Josh Shapiro did a tremendous job putting this group together. We've added a lot of talent, character, athleticism and speed to the roster and we expect a lot of these boys to come in and make immediate impacts."
The list of future Hoyas includes ...
Matthew Brutto (Warrington, Pa./Central Bucks South) GK, 6-0, 165
"One of our main goals with this class was to recruit two goalkeepers who give us the potential to win a national championship down the road and we feel that we accomplished that with Matty Brutto and Mark Wilber," Wiese said. "Matty is one of the top goalkeeping talents in the country and carries himself with tremendous presence. He's a great athlete, is technically sound, and has good feet. We expect him to compete for playing time with Joe Devine and Mark Wilber right away."
Prior to Georgetown: Played three years at Central Bucks South for coach Don Brady ... Posted 40 career high school shutouts ... Played at Central Bucks East H.S. as a freshman ... A three-time Pennsylvania All-State selection ... Named to 2006 Pennsylvania Soccer Coaches Association (PSCA) East Region All-America Team and Region II All-American ... Named to the National Soccer Coaches Association of America (NSCAA) High School All-Region II East team ... Two-time All-Intel First Teamer ... Two-time Southeast Pennsylvania All-Star Game participant ... A three-time Suburban I All-League First Team selection ... Played six years for FC Delco Black V club team and coach Mike Gorni ... A two-time selection (2003-04, 2005-06) in the ODP National Team Pool ... Helpd FC Delco to the 2005 Region I title ... A member of three FC Delco Pennsylvania State Championships (02, 03, 05) ... Played club with incoming Hoya Alex Verdi.
"I chose Georgetown because it has an extremely high academic reputation," said Brutto. "That in combination with a soccer program on the rise made the school feel like home."
Robert Burnett (Plano, Texas/Plano West Senior) M/D, 5-11, 160
"Rob is a very tidy player who makes very good decisions with the ball," Wiese added. "He is a nice athlete who's not afraid to win tackles and compete in the air. He's a very versatile player and it's obvious he has been well coached up to this point. We think he can come in and compete for a spot anywhere across the back or midfield."
Prior to Georgetown: Four-year letterwinner and two-year starter at Plano West Senior for coach Jimmy Dowell ... Named All-District First Team in 2006 ... Part of two district championships in 2004 and 2005 ... Played club for five years with Dallas Texans 89 Red and coach Hassan Nazari ... Member of the 2006 North Texas State Cup Championship ... Member of the North Texas ODP for five years ... Played club with incoming Hoya Chandler Diggs.
"I chose Georgetown because it had a good combination of academics and athletics," Burnett said. "I really liked the whole coaching staff."
Seth C'deBaca (Albuquerque, N.M./Sandia Prep) M, 5-9, 150
"I really got to know Seth at camp while I was still out at Notre Dame," Wiese said. "He's a wonderfully technical player who can break down teams in a lot of different ways. He plays penetrating passes and is very comfortable in one-on-one situations. He's one of two New Mexico boys from my hometown that we have coming in and I hope we can keep that connection open in the future."
Prior to Georgetown: Four-year letterwinner and starter at Sandia Prep for coach Tommy Smith ... Named New Mexico Player of the Year in 2006 ... A three-time All-State honoree ... Three-time All-District award winner ... Named All-Metro three straight years ... Named All-State Second Team and All-District Second Team as a freshman ... Named Albuquerque Tribune Fall Athlete of the Year in 2006 ... A NSCAA/adidas All-Region team member in 2006 ... Helped lead Sandia Prep to a perfect 24-0 record and a No.4 national ranking as a junior with 18 goals and 28 assists ... A member of four straight state championship teams ... A major cog for a Sandia Prep team that won 40 consecutive games between sophomore and junior year ... Totaled 70 goals and 97 assists in four high school seasons ... Played club with Classic FC Bandoleros for coach Ricardo Beraun for 10 years ... Helped the Bandoleros to win the Far West Regional Tournament in 2006 ... Lived in Holland for a year and played with the Youth Professional Club, NEC Nijmegan.
"I chose to attend Georgetown because of its academic reputation and its rising soccer program," C'deBaca said. "The campus is in a great location in D.C. and the BIG EAST Conference is one of the toughest in the nation."
Jose Colchao (Fairfax, Va./Lake Braddock Secondary School) F, 5-9, 170
"We didn't have any players from Virginia on the roster last fall, so hopefully Jose is the first of many," Wiese noted. "Jose is a soccer junkie who is extremely fast and powerful and is adept at putting the ball in the net. We feel he can be a great leader both on and off the field for us. He'll likely get his opportunities as a forward initially."
Prior to Georgetown: Four-year letterwinner and three-year starter at Lake Braddock Secondary School for coach Joe Soos ... Posted 41 goals and 16 assists through three high school seasons ... A two-time All-District First Team honoree (2005, 06) ... A two-time All-Northern Region First Team member ... Named All-Metropolitan Area Second Team twice ... Named D.C. Examiner First Team in 2005 and Second Team in 2006 ... Set a Lake Braddock Secondary School single-season record with 17 goals in 2005 ... Member of three Patriot District Championships (2004-06) ... Named one of Top Drawer Soccer top recruits ... Named one of the top local players by Rise Magazine ... Played club with RFC 88 and coach German Piere ... Part of four club state championships ... Participated in 2004 Y League National Tournament in Chicago ... Member of the D.C. United U-18 team that traveled overseas in 2006 ... Recipient of the William and Mary Leadership Award in 2006 ... A Spanish Honor Society member ... Named Who's Who Among High School Students in 2006.
"I have always lived nearby Georgetown and it has always been a dream to play there," Colchao said.
Chandler Diggs (Coppell Texas/Coppell H.S.) F/M, 5-9, 150
"Chandler brings a lot of pace to the table for us and he's another player that can score goals," Wiese said. "He's someone who other teams will have to deal with because he can just run by you. He'll give us some pop up front or in the wide areas and is another quality player from the Dallas Texans that we'll be adding to the roster."
Prior to Georgetown: Named Texas Soccer Coaches Association First Team All-State, District MVP, Texas University Interscholastic League All-Tourney and earned Coppell High School's Golden Boot Award in 2006 ... Set a new school single-season record with 30 goals as a freshman, becoming the only freshman to ever travel with a varsity team that won the state title in 2004 for Coppell coach John Lawhon ... Helped Coppell HS to a Texas State Runner-up appearance as a junior, a semifinal appearance as a sophomore and a state title as a freshman ...Member of the Dallas Texans 89 Red club team coached by Hassan Nazari that advanced to the Nike Manchester United Premier Cup (Beaverton, Ore.) in 2004 ...With the Dallas Texans, advanced to the Tampa Bay Sun Bowl quarterfinals in 2003 ... A three-time Dallas Cup participant ... An Honor Roll student ... Played club with incoming Hoya Rob Burnett.
"Georgetown has a terrific academic reputation," said Diggs. "I grew very fond of the coaching staff right away in the recruitng process."
Mostafa Ebrahimnejad (Columbia, Md./Hammond HS) M, 6-2, 160
"Mostafa is one of the most complete players in the region," said Wiese. "He's big, athletic and very two-footed and can play anywhere on the field. He has great confidence in his play and a tremendous understanding of the game, which will allow him to adapt quickly to the college level. He has a bright future ahead of him and we're excited to see what he's capable of."
Prior to Georgetown: Four-year letterwinner and starter at Hammond H.S. for coach Jeff Rinhoel ... Named Maryland All-State as a senior in 2006 despite playing in just five games; broke collarbone early in his senior year season missing most of the year ... Helped Hammond to its first-ever state championship, scoring a goal in a 3-1 over Loch Raven ... Named Baltimore Sun Co-Player of the Year as a junior in 2005 after scoring eight goals on the season and helping Hammond to its first-ever the State Runner-Up ... Played club with Bethesda United for coach Steve Campbell ...Major cog for Bethesda United team that advanced to National Tournament (Orlando, Fla) in 2004 .. Helped Bethesda United to a Region I Premier League Championship in 2005 ... Helped Bethesda to a Regional Championship and was on one of four teams at Nationals (Des Moines, Iowa) in 2006 ... Second-oldest of four brothers.
"I chose Georgetown because of its location and I love that area," said Ebrahimnejad. "Georgetown is a prestigious school that has a terrific reputation."
Alex Verdi (Ivyland, Pa./Germantown Academy) D/M, 6-2, 185
"Alex is one of two FC Delco boys coming in and we're excited to work with him," Wiese said. "Alex has good size and has nice balance with very soft feet and he glides over the field. He feels pressure very well and is a terrific passer. He's a versatile player who has the capability to fill any number of needs for us."
Prior to Georgetown: Four-year letterwinner and three-year starter at Germantown Academy for coach Patrick David ... Named Interac league MVP in 2006 following his senior season ... Named All-State as a senior ... Named All-Southeastern Pennsylvania as a senior ... Named Times Herald Player of the Year in 2006 ... Team captain as a senior ... First Team All-Interac selection for three straight years ... Helped Germantown Academy to the league championship as a freshman, junior and senior ... Played for five years with FC Delco and coach Mike Gorni ... Team captain at FC Delco for four years ... Helped FC Delco to a Region I Championship in 2004 ... Helped FC Delco to the Y League Finals in 2003 ... An Honor Roll student for four straight years ...Played club with incoming Hoya Matt Brutto.
"I really felt comfortable on campus at Georgetown," Verdi said. "I felt like I fit in with the team members immediately."
Mark Wilber (Tijeras, N.M. / Albuquerque Academy) GK, 6-4, 195
"We really discovered Mark at our Georgetown camp this summer and we were blown away by his athleticism and shot-stopping ability," Wiese said. "He's a natural leader and a flat-out great kid. The sky is the limit for him as I feel he has as much potential as anyone out there. He attends my old high school and his coach, Will Steadman, can't say enough good things about him."
Prior to Georgetown: A two-time First Team All-Metro Goalkeeper ... Named First Team All-District twice ... A two-time First Team All-State honoree for coaches Will Steadman at Albuquerque Academy ... Posted 84 saves as a senior ... Helped the team to two Class 4A Championship Games as a sophomore and a junior ...Named All-State Honorable Mention as a sophomore ... Played club in 2005-06 with AUFC 89, winning a State Cup Championship in 2005 ...Played with the CFC Bandoleros for coach Ricardo Beraun, winning three New Mexico State Cup Championships, three Classic Cup Championships and three Gaylord Shepherd Championships ... Also played three club seasons with CFC Sabers
"I really fell in love with the Hoya coaching staff right away," Wilber said. "Georgetown is one of the premier academic schools in the country and that was one of the main things I was looking for when choosing a school."
