May 18, 2006
For
Immediate Release………
Matt
Behncke Signs With
Williamsburg
Legacy For 2006 Season
Played
for the
Williamsburg
Soccer Club, Princeton
University
and FC Dallas and
Real
Salt
Lake
of Major League Soccer
Williamsburg
native and former Major League Soccer (MLS) player Matt Behncke
has signed on with the Williamsburg Legacy for the 2006 season. Before
joining MLS, Behncke played four years of college soccer for
Princeton University. In his first year at Princeton in 1998
Behncke was named the Ivy League Rookie of the Year. In his
sophomore year, he was a second team All-Ivy selection, while
leading the Tigers to an Ivy League title. In both his junior
and senior seasons, Behncke was named first team All-Ivy.
Upon
graduating, Behnke was drafted 18th overall in the 2002 MLS
SuperDraftt by the Dallas Burn. He became the first Williamsburg
Soccer Club player to be selected to play in Major League
Soccer. In his first year with Dallas, Behncke played 190
minutes. In his second year, however, Behncke developed into an
important player for the Burn, capable of playing at either
central defense or left back. Behncke saw an increased role in
2004, starting almost half of the Burn's games.
After
the 2004 season, Behncke was selected by Real Salt Lake in the
Expansion Draft. During the 2005 season he played in eight
games, starting in seven, for Real before being released in
August of last year.
“This
is truly a great situation for us,” enthused Legacy Head Coach
Richard Butler. “Matt has four years of professional
experience that he brings to our team for this season. He is
back in Williamsburg taking some time off before he heads to Law
School at the University of Texas at Austin. He wants to continue
to stay fit and play at a competitive level until he leaves in
August. I see him as an anchor at the back who will help the
younger lads along. He also brings true leadership to our team.
I’m very excited about having him around.”
Behncke,
in action last week in the Legacy friendly against the USL
Division One team, Virginia Beach Mariners.
The Legacy lost 4-1.
