Khori Bennett

Khori Bennett
Personal information
Full name Khori O' Neil Bennett
Date of birth (1997-12-13) 13 December 1997 (age 27)
Place of birth Kingston, Jamaica
Height 1.81 m (5 ft 11 in)
Position(s) Forward
Team information
Current team
Las Vegas Lights
Youth career
Harbour View
Real Mona
College career
Years Team Apps (Gls)
2015–2017 Northeastern Huskies 44 (5)
2018 Radford Highlanders 15 (3)
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
2016–2019 Reading United 25 (11)
2019 Philadelphia Fury 1 (0)
2021 CA Cabezo De Torres
2022–2023 Charlotte Independence 62 (17)
2024– Las Vegas Lights 33 (14)
*Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of November 15, 2024

Khori Bennett (born 13 December 1997) is a Jamaican footballer who plays as a forward for Las Vegas Lights in the USL Championship.

Early life

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Bennett was born in Kingston, Jamaica and attended Wolmer's Boys School. With the Under-19 team in 2014, he scored 11 goals in nine games after winning back-to-back Under-19 knockout competition championships, back to back all island Under-16 championships, and one Under-14 all-island championship. Bennett won the O.G Brown Prize for Good Sportsmanship in 2014, led his team in scoring for three straight seasons from 2012 to 2014, and was named Team MVP in 2011 and 2013.[1] He also played at youth level with both Harbour View and Real Mona.[2]

College career

[edit]

In 2015, Bennett moved to the United States to play college soccer at Northeastern University. In three seasons with the Huskies, Bennett made 44 appearances, scoring five goals and tallying three assists.[1] For his senior year, Bennett transferred to Radford University, where he played a single season, scoring three goals in 15 appearances.[3]

While at college, Bennett played in the USL PDL with Reading United AC. In four seasons at Reading, Bennett scored 11 regular season goals in 24 appearances.[4][5][6][7] Including his goals in the playoffs and Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup, Bennett became Reading's all-time leading goalscorer.[8]

Club career

[edit]

Philadelphia Fury

[edit]

In 2019, Bennett signed with NISA side Philadelphia Fury, playing a single game for the team[9] before the club had to withdraw from the 2019 season and fold.[10]

Cabezo de Torres

[edit]

In late 2021, Bennett spent time with sixth-tier Spanish side CA Cabezo De Torres.

Charlotte Independence

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In April 2022, after trialing with the club in preseason, Bennett signed with USL League One club Charlotte Independence.[11][12] He made his debut for the club on 16 April 2022, starting in a 2–1 win over Northern Colorado Hailstorm.[13] On August 1, 2022, Bennett was named USL League One Player of the Week for Week 18 of the 2022 season after scoring his first hat-trick against Central Valley Fuego FC.[14]

Las Vegas Lights

[edit]

On 5 March 2024, Bennett joined USL Championship club Las Vegas Lights.[15]

International career

[edit]

On 18 November 2024, Bennett was called up to the senior Jamaica national football team for the first time, ahead of the team's match that night against the United States in the CONCACAF Nations League.[16]

References

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  1. ^ a b "Khori Bennett - Men's Soccer". Northeastern University Athletics.
  2. ^ "Player Details | National Independent Soccer Association". www.nisaofficial.com.
  3. ^ "Khori Bennett - Men's Soccer". Radford University Athletics.
  4. ^ "Reading United AC - 2016 Regular Season - Roster - # - Khori Bennett - F". www.uslleaguetwo.com.
  5. ^ "Reading United AC - 2017 Regular Season - Roster - #9 - Khori Bennett - F". www.uslleaguetwo.com.
  6. ^ "Reading United AC - 2018 Regular Season - Roster - # - Khori Bennett - M/F". www.uslleaguetwo.com.
  7. ^ "Reading United AC | uslleaguetwo.com". www.uslleaguetwo.com.
  8. ^ Doyle, Sean (July 16, 2018). "Veteran forward Khori Bennett has his eyes on the prize". Reading United AC.
  9. ^ "First Team | Philadelphia Fury". philadelphiafury.com.
  10. ^ Ralph, Matthew (September 18, 2019). "Philadelphia Fury pulls out of fall NISA season". Brotherly Game.
  11. ^ "Charlotte Independence Win 2-1 in Stoppage Time vs. Northern Colorado Hailstorm FC".
  12. ^ Harris, Jacob (April 14, 2021). "The Oppo: Charlotte Independence - The Football Forge".
  13. ^ "Match Center | USLLeagueOne.com". www.uslleagueone.com.
  14. ^ "USL League One Team of the Week – Week 18". uslleagueone.com. 1 August 2022. Retrieved 1 August 2022.
  15. ^ "Las Vegas Lights FC Adds Four Player to 2024 Roster". www.lasvegaslightsfc.com. 5 March 2024. Retrieved 6 March 2024.
  16. ^ Martin, W. "Las Vegas Lights FC Forward Khori Bennett Earns First Career Jamaican National Team Call-Up". LasVegasLightsFC.com. Las Vegas Lights. Retrieved 18 November 2024.