Cadan Bennett, ’28, was recently recognized as the Presidents’ Athletic Conference Men’s Soccer Newcomer of the Week for the week of Sept. 15. Bennett is a goalkeeper, and in the week of Sept. 8, Bennett finished three games with 21 saves, an .840 save percentage and a 1.33 goals-against average, according to the PAC press release announcing the honor. Contributing Writer Emma Tikey, ’28, sat down with Bennett to learn about what motivates him, why he loves soccer and what the recognition means to him.

Tikey: How have you adjusted to playing soccer in college compared to high school?
Bennett: “I would say it’s not that much different. I played on a very competitive club and high school teams so the speed of play is not much different. The only difference would be the physicality being much higher since the boys being 4 or 5 years older than me.”

How long have you been playing soccer?
Bennett: “I have been playing for as long as I can remember. It’s been my main sport that I put a lot of time into. I only played basketball other than soccer, but I was better at soccer than basketball.”

What motivates you/what pushes you to keep working hard at soccer?
Bennett: “I want to win a PAC championship. I think that would be really cool. I also want to win as many accolades as I can, so I push myself as hard as I can for that. This pushes me to be a better player.”

How do you hope you and your team will develop over your next 4 years at Allegheny?
Bennett: “Athletics-wise, hopefully we compete in our conference and contest to play in our section. I want to push my teammates and they can push me so we become a better team overall. My academic goals are to maintain a high GPA and make sure my attendance in class is as perfect as it can be. I am hoping to keep up with my workload in my classes and make sure I focus on both academics and athletics.”

What made you choose Allegheny College?
Bennett: “I chose Allegheny because I knew a few kids on the team before I committed and they only had great things to say about the team environment and the college. I then walked around the college and got to meet some of the academic staff and they were so nice to me and I could really see myself coming to college here.”

Why do you play soccer?
Bennett: “I just think it’s fun. Whenever I play soccer I’m able to just forget about everything else going on in my life and enjoy something that makes me happy.”

How would you describe the feeling when you save a goal?
Bennett: “I would say it depends on the time of the game. If it’s towards the end or the beginning of a game I feel a lot better about it, but if it’s just in the middle it doesn’t mean as much since I’m in the swing of things and I am just ready to make the next one. I would say I don’t react much to most saves because that’s my job and that’s what I’m there to do.”

How does soccer affect/prepare you in everyday life?
Bennett: “It makes me really sore so waking up in the morning isn’t always the most fun, but it also teaches me communication and leadership skills. Even if I don’t like someone on my team they’re still my teammate and I’m going to be there for them and do anything I can for them. Problem solving also because when opposing teams change formation or other plans on the fly, you need to adapt quickly.”

Is there anything you would like to tell your younger self?
Bennett: “Just keep doing what you’re doing. It will all pay off in the end… even though you have bad genetics and can’t grow, it will still all work out for you.”

How would you explain soccer to someone who has never heard of it?
Bennett: “Soccer is a game, but you can’t use your hands unless you’re like me. It’s eleven versus eleven on a big chunk of grass and they kick a ball around trying to kick the ball into a net and score”.

What do teammates think about Cadan?
Ryan Policicchio, ’28: “I admire Cadan for his respectful amount of confidence on the field. Just by looking at him you’ll know he’s a good player.”
Quinn Stefaniak, ‘27: “Caden is a humble player on and off the field, and definitely deserves the recognition for his performance.”
Charlie Hutton, ‘27: “He’s a great player but an even better friend.”