Peachtree City Sign Jacksonville Midfielder Kai Bennett

It's no mystery that MOBA's PDL side has had scoring troubles. It has been one of the key points of analysis for every field signing thus far: Can they score? While a few of those answers have been yes, no signing has checked the box with as much emphasis as MOBA's latest signing has, and that is just one of the reasons to get excited to see what he can do this summer.

Kai Bennett - Midfielder - Jacksonville University

A hometown player from Smyrna, midfielder Kai Bennett has shown some very lethal scoring ability at this point in his career. Playing his club soccer with Concorde Fire Elite, Bennett won two Disney Championships and a Georgia State Cup during his tenure with the Fire. In high school at Riverwood, Bennett was a four year starter with the school, scoring thirty-one goals in four years including an astonishing twenty-one his junior season. After such high totals, Bennett was named to the All-County First Team following the season. In what is very easily the greatest way to end one's high school career, Bennett lead Riverwood to their first state championship in school history, capping off his final season with the highest honor. Along with his on the pitch success, Bennett also was very successful in the classroom, making the Dean's List and Honor Roll all four years.

Following high school, Bennett committed to play Division I soccer for Jacksonville University where his impact was felt almost immediately. Despite a less than optimal 8-10 finish to his freshman season, Bennett led the team in goals with five to go along with two assists as the Dolphins recorded wins against quality programs in Georgia Southern and Lipscomb. The post-season was a whole different monster, however, as the Dolphins stormed through the ASUN Tournament, beating NJIT 2-1 as Bennett scored the game-winner and North Florida 1-0 before falling to Florida Gulf Coast 3-2 in the final, with the game-winner coming in the eighty-first minute. Bennett was recognized for his success as he was unanimously selected to the ASUN All-Freshman Team as well as the ASUN All-Tournament Team. Bennett's sophomore season saw Jacksonville finish 6-10-1, but that record does not speak for their actual success, as seven of those losses came in the first seven matches. After the rough start, the Dolphins went 4-2-1 in their final seven heading into the ASUN Tournament, where once again they proved all the critics wrong. Repeating the previous season's drama, Jacksonville picked up a 2-1 comeback victory over North Florida in the quarterfinals before Bennett recorded the game-winning assist on 106 minutes in a 2-1 extra time victory over Stetson. The Dolphins fell victim to a second half penalty kick in the final that gave Lipscomb a 2-1 victory and sent the Dolphins home empty-handed for the second straight season. Bennett finished the 2017 campaign with two goals and a team-high five assists and was voted ASUN All-Conference Second Team to go along with a second All-Tournament Team selection.

Making his PDL debut this summer for Peachtree City, Kai Bennett could very easily take over the number 10 role for a club desperate for somebody to step up and lead. Bennett's ability to both find the right pass as well as finish on the attack will be vital as MOBA seek to finally find some success and qualify for the playoffs for the first time. The picture of the roster is starting to come together for Peachtree City, and so far the future looks bright, but just how well the players mesh together and play off of each other with be a story-line to watch as the season unfolds.

#MOBAProud
Photo Courtesy: Jacksonville University

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