Matt Behncke
Encyclopedia
Matt Behncke is an American soccer player, who last played for Real Salt Lake
of Major League Soccer
.
Before joining MLS, Behncke played four years of college soccer
for Princeton University
. In 1998, his first year at Princeton, 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. In 2002, Behncke was the sole recipient of the William Winston Roper award, the highest male student-athlete award at Princeton. The award is given annually to a Princeton senior of high scholastic rank, outstanding sportsmanship, and general athletic ability.
Upon graduating, Behncke was drafted 18th overall in the 2002 MLS SuperDraft
by the Dallas Burn
. In his first year with Dallas, Behncke did not make much of an impact, playing only 190 minutes. In his second year, however, Behncke developed into a useful utility player for the Burn, capable of playing adequately at either central defense or left fullback. Behncke saw an increased role in 2004, starting almost half of the Burn's games.
However, after the 2004 season, he was selected by Real Salt Lake in the Expansion Draft
. Following the 2005 season, Behncke was waived and retired from professional soccer to attend law school at the University of Texas School of Law. In 2006, he played for the Williamsburg Legacy
, his hometown club, in the fourth division Premier Development League, prior to beginning school in Austin.http://pdl.uslsoccer.com/teams/2006/roster/22402.html
While in law school, Behncke was selected as the Chief Articles Editor of the Texas Law Review
, one of the top ten law journals, according to the 2009 Washington and Lee Law Journal Rankings.
Matt grew up in Williamsburg, Virginia
playing his youth soccer with the Williamsburg Wizards
.
Real Salt Lake
Real Salt Lake is an American professional soccer club based in Sandy, Utah, a suburb of Salt Lake City. The team competes in Major League Soccer , the top professional soccer league in the United States and Canada. They currently play their home games at Rio Tinto Stadium. Real Salt Lake won...
of Major League Soccer
Major League Soccer
Major League Soccer is a professional soccer league based in the United States and sanctioned by the United States Soccer Federation . The league is composed of 19 teams — 16 in the U.S. and 3 in Canada...
.
Before joining MLS, Behncke played four years of college soccer
College soccer
College soccer is a term used to describe association football played by teams who are operated by colleges and universities as opposed to a professional league operated for exclusively financial purposes...
for Princeton University
Princeton University
Princeton University is a private research university located in Princeton, New Jersey, United States. The school is one of the eight universities of the Ivy League, and is one of the nine Colonial Colleges founded before the American Revolution....
. In 1998, his first year at Princeton, 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. In 2002, Behncke was the sole recipient of the William Winston Roper award, the highest male student-athlete award at Princeton. The award is given annually to a Princeton senior of high scholastic rank, outstanding sportsmanship, and general athletic ability.
Upon graduating, Behncke was drafted 18th overall in the 2002 MLS SuperDraft
2002 MLS SuperDraft
The 2002 Major League Soccer SuperDraft.-Round 1:-Round 2:-Round 3:-Round 4:-Round 5:-Round 6:...
by the Dallas Burn
FC Dallas
FC Dallas is an American professional soccer club based in the Dallas suburb of Frisco, Texas which competes in Major League Soccer , the top professional soccer league in the United States of America and Canada...
. In his first year with Dallas, Behncke did not make much of an impact, playing only 190 minutes. In his second year, however, Behncke developed into a useful utility player for the Burn, capable of playing adequately at either central defense or left fullback. Behncke saw an increased role in 2004, starting almost half of the Burn's games.
However, after the 2004 season, he was selected by Real Salt Lake in the Expansion Draft
2004 MLS Expansion Draft
The 2004 MLS Expansion Draft was held on November 19, 2004 and consisted of 10 rounds. The two new teams, C.D. Chivas USA and Real Salt Lake, drafted players from the other 10 Major League Soccer teams....
. Following the 2005 season, Behncke was waived and retired from professional soccer to attend law school at the University of Texas School of Law. In 2006, he played for the Williamsburg Legacy
Williamsburg Legacy
Virginia Legacy was an American soccer team based in Williamsburg, Virginia, United States. Founded in 2002, the team played in the USL Premier Development League , the fourth tier of the American Soccer Pyramid, until 2009, after which the franchise folded and the team left the league.The team...
, his hometown club, in the fourth division Premier Development League, prior to beginning school in Austin.http://pdl.uslsoccer.com/teams/2006/roster/22402.html
While in law school, Behncke was selected as the Chief Articles Editor of the Texas Law Review
Texas Law Review
The Texas Law Review is a student-edited and produced law review published by the University of Texas School of Law . It publishes 7 issues per academic year, ranks number 11 on Washington & Lee University's list, and ranks number 4 in Mikhail Koulikov's rankings of law reviews by social impact...
, one of the top ten law journals, according to the 2009 Washington and Lee Law Journal Rankings.
Matt grew up in Williamsburg, Virginia
Williamsburg, Virginia
Williamsburg is an independent city located on the Virginia Peninsula in the Hampton Roads metropolitan area of Virginia, USA. As of the 2010 Census, the city had an estimated population of 14,068. It is bordered by James City County and York County, and is an independent city...
playing his youth soccer with the Williamsburg Wizards
Williamsburg Wizards
The Williamsburg Wizards were a dominant American youth soccer team, based in Williamsburg, Virginia.-Team Formation:In 1989, Williamsburg Wizards head coach Al Albert went door-to-door to elementary school gym teachers in Williamsburg, Virginia asking them for names of the most athletic students...
.