NASHVILLE, Tenn. – Virginia Tech goalkeeper Ben Martino has signed a homegrown deal with Nashville Soccer Club, as announced by the club on Friday. The Pittsburgh, Pa. native's rights were acquired by Nashville from the Philadelphia Union following his time in the club's academy and Philadelphia Union II, along with two seasons in college.
In two seasons with the Hokies, Martino made 34 starts between the sticks. He burst onto the scene as a freshman and established himself as one of the ACC's premiere talents in a season that saw Tech progress to the second round of the NCAA Tournament. As a sophomore, Martino was named one of Virginia Tech's team captains.
"The staff and I are thrilled for Ben's opportunity to play at the next level," head coach Mike Brizendine said in reference to the deal. "Since we first met him, it has been Ben's goal to become a pro. Over the last two seasons, he's contributed immensely to our program and we're glad that we could help him on his journey of becoming a professional soccer player."
Martino was one of seven goalkeepers in the league to start in five or more matches in each of the last two seasons. He had the third highest saves per game rate (3.63) behind Virginia's Holden Brown (4.08) and Duke's Eliot Hamill (3.64).
As a freshman, Martino earned several accolades, including being named to Top Drawer Soccer's Freshman Best XI second team and the No. 20 spot in the outlet's Freshmen Top 100 final rankings. He also earned a spot on VaSID's All-State first team for his 18-game rookie campaign, which started with a win over No. 1 Marshall. Martino recorded five clean sheets throughout the season while posting a .766 save percentage. In four postseason games, he only allowed four goals, including posting a clean sheet against Boston College in the first round of the ACC Tournament.
The Pittsburgh, Pa. native's form continued in his sophomore season, specifically in big games. In four games against ranked opponents – all of which appeared in the NCAA Tournament – Martino allowed only four goals. He posted a .711 save percentage through 16 games and opponents had only converted two of four penalty attempts against him.
Martino has become the latest Hokies goalkeeper to rise to the professional ranks under Brizendine. Chase Harrison became the first Virginia Tech player drafted when he was selected by Real Salt Lake in 2006. Kyle Renfro made professional appearances for the Harrisburg Islanders and Charlotte Independence. Ben Lundgaard was picked up in the first round of the 2018 MLS SuperDraft by Columbus Crew SC.