Julia Marie Benati (born September 8, 1996) is a Canadian soccer player who plays for FC London in League1 Ontario.

Julia Benati
Benati accepting L1O League Cup Championship trophy in 2024
Personal information
Full name Julia Marie Benati[1]
Date of birth (1996-09-18) September 18, 1996 (age 28)
Place of birth Dorchester, Ontario, Canada
Height 5 ft 2 in (1.57 m)
Position(s) Midfielder
Team information
Current team
FC London
Youth career
North London SC
Dorchester SC
NorWest London
College career
Years Team Apps (Gls)
2014–2017 Buffalo Bulls 76 (18)
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
2016–2022 FC London 68 (26)
2022 Medkila 8 (2)
2023 Valadares Gaia 11 (0)
2023 Valadares Gaia B 2 (1)
2023– FC London 26 (13)
*Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of August 4, 2024

Early life

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Benati played youth soccer with North London SC, Dorchester SC, and NorWest London.[2]

College career

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In 2014, Benati began attending the University of Buffalo, where she played for the women's soccer team.[3] She scored her first goal in her debut on August 22, 2014, in a 1-0 victory over the St. Bonaventure Bonnies.[4] At the end of her first season, she was named to the Mid-American Conference All-Freshman Team.[5] At the end of her sophomore season, she was named to the All-MAC Second Team, earned Academic All-MAC honours and was named to the MAC Distinguished Scholar Athlete list.[6][7] In 2016, she was once again named to the All-MAC Second Team and earned Academic All-MAC honours once again.[8][9] At the end of her senior season, Benati was named to the All-MAC First Team,[10] All-Midwest Region Third Team,[11] Academic All-MAC,[12] and Academic All-District.[13] She was became the first Buffalo women's soccer student-athlete to receive the NCAA postgraduate scholarship and was nominated for the 2018 NCAA Woman Of The Year.[14][15]

Club career

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In 2016, Benati began playing with FC London in League1 Ontario (women).[16] In 2016, she was named to the mid-season league all-star team that played the PLSQ All-Star team[17] and was named a league Second Team All-Star at the end of the season.[18] In 2017, she was named a league Third Team All-Star.[19] In 2018, she was named a league First Team All-Star.[20] In 2019, Benati was named the league's Midfielder of the Year and a First Team All-Star.[21][22] In 2021, she once again was named the league's Top Midfielder and a First Team All-Star.[23] In 2022, she became team captain[24] and at the end of the season was named the league Most Valuable Player, Midfielder of the Year, and a First Team All-Star.[25][26]

In August 2022, Benati signed with Norwegian club Medkila in the top tier 1. divisjon.[24][27][28]

In January 2023, she signed with Portuguese club Valadares Gaia in the Campeonato Nacional Feminino.[29][30]

In June 2023, she returned to FC London, with her arrival delayed while she had to wait for the Portuguese Football Federation to approve her contract termination with Gaia.[31] In 2024, she was again named the league Midfielder of the Year.

Personal life

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Benati is a licensed chiropractor.[32]

Career statistics

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As of August 4, 2024
Club Season League Playoffs Domestic Cup League Cup Total
Division Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals
FC London 2016[33] League1 Ontario 10 4 ? ? 10 4
2017[34] 8 1 ? ? 8 1
2018[35] 10 1 0 0 ? ? 12 19
2019[36] 13 5 5 0 18 5
2021[37] 10 3 1 0 11 16
2022[38] 17 12 1 0 18 12
Total 68 26 7 0 0 0 0 0 75 26
Medkila 2022[1] 1. divisjon 8 2 0 0 8 2
Valadares Gaia 2022–23[39] Campeonato Nacional Feminino 11 0 0 0 11 0
Valadares Gaia B 2022–23[39] Campeonato Nacional II Divisão Feminino 2 1 2 1
FC London 2023[40] League1 Ontario 9 2 0 0 9 2
2024[41] 17 11 4 4 21 15
Total 26 13 0 0 0 0 4 4 30 17
Career total 115 42 7 0 0 0 4 4 126 46

Honours

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Club

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Individual

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References

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  1. ^ a b "Julia Benati". Norsk & Internasjonal Fotballstatistikk (in Norwegian). NTB.
  2. ^ "Women's Soccer Reveals 2014 Recruiting Class". Buffalo Bulls. February 13, 2014.
  3. ^ "Nor'West breeding success". London Sports Xpress. November 8, 2013.
  4. ^ "Women's Soccer Blanks Bonnies In Season Opening Victory, 1-0". Buffalo Bulls. August 22, 2014.
  5. ^ "Women's Soccer Sweeps Major MAC Awards; Eight Earn All-Conference Honors". Buffalo Bulls. November 6, 2014.
  6. ^ "Julia Benati Buffalo Bulls profile". Buffalo Bulls.
  7. ^ "Five Women's Soccer Players Earn All-MAC Accolades". Buffalo Bulls. November 5, 2015.
  8. ^ "Women's Soccer Places Four On All-MAC Team". Buffalo Bulls. November 3, 2016.
  9. ^ "Women's Soccer Sees Program Record Eight Student-Athletes Earn Academic All-MAC Honors". Buffalo Bulls. November 17, 2016.
  10. ^ "Women's Soccer Places Five On All-MAC Squads". Buffalo Bulls. November 2, 2017.
  11. ^ "Julia Benati Earns United Soccer Coaches Third Team All-Midwest Region Nod". Buffalo Bulls. November 29, 2017.
  12. ^ "Seven Bulls Earn Academic All-MAC Nod". Buffalo Bulls. November 16, 2017.
  13. ^ "Cutrona And Benati Earn CoSIDA Academic All-District Nod". Buffalo Bulls. November 13, 2017.
  14. ^ "Julia Benati Earns NCAA Postgraduate Scholarship". Buffalo Bulls. April 20, 2018.
  15. ^ "Julia Benati Named 2018 NCAA Woman Of The Year Nominee". Buffalo Bulls. July 13, 2018.
  16. ^ Devlin, Todd (August 18, 2021). "Benati, FC women off to fast start". Gameday London.
  17. ^ "Club thrilled with League1 debut". London Sports Xpress. September 10, 2016.
  18. ^ "League1 Ontario Announces 2016 Women's First And Second Team All-Stars". League1 Ontario. November 18, 2016. Archived from the original on April 20, 2021.
  19. ^ "Standout Performers Recognized At League1 Ontario 2017 Awards Banquet". League1 Ontario. November 13, 2017. Archived from the original on October 17, 2023.
  20. ^ "Top 2018 Performers Recognized At Year-End Awards Gala". League1 Ontario. November 26, 2018. Archived from the original on December 9, 2023.
  21. ^ "Stakic, Benati Selected As 2019 League1 Midfielders Of The Year". League1 Ontario. October 3, 2019. Archived from the original on October 2, 2023.
  22. ^ "Men's And Women's 2019 First, Second And Third Team All-Stars". League1 Ontario. September 30, 2019. Archived from the original on February 11, 2024.
  23. ^ Thompson, Marty (December 21, 2021). "2021 L1O Women's Premier Division Awards: Twidle Earns MVP, FC London Dominate Again". League1 Ontario.
  24. ^ a b "Former Bulls Carissima Cutrona and Julia Benati Reunite To Play Professionally in Norway". Buffalo Bulls. August 25, 2022.
  25. ^ "Julia Benati and Olivia Smith highly commended as Women's Premier Division 2022 awards are confirmed". League1 Ontario. November 15, 2022. Archived from the original on February 26, 2024.
  26. ^ "Simcoe skipper Cloey Uddenberg at the heart of the 2022 Women's Premier Division All-Star team". League1 Ontario. November 17, 2022. Archived from the original on February 9, 2023.
  27. ^ "Her er jentene som kan redde Medkila: – Vi er alle angrepsspillere" [Here are the girls who can save Medkila: - We are all attacking players]. iHardstad (in Norwegian). September 10, 2022.
  28. ^ "Ny angrepsduo dro rett på Medkila-trening" [New attacking duo went straight to Medkila training]. Harstad Tidende (in Norwegian). August 25, 2022.
  29. ^ Pyette, Ryan (January 12, 2023). "Sports Notes: Lightning prep for tip-off; Jr. Knights shine: Benati signs". London Free Press.
  30. ^ "Går fra Medkila til portugisisk klubb" [Going from Medkila to Portuguese club]. Harstad Tidende (in Norwegian). January 11, 2023.
  31. ^ Pyette, Ryan (June 1, 2023). "Soccer MVP awaits Portuguese pro club's all-clear before rejoining FC London". London Free Press.
  32. ^ "Dr. Julia Benati". Dorchester Family Chiropractic Centre.
  33. ^ "Julia Benati 2016 L1O Stats". League1 Ontario.
  34. ^ "Julia Benati 2017 L1O Stats". League1 Ontario.
  35. ^ "Julia Benati 2018 L1O Stats". League1 Ontario.
  36. ^ "Julia Benati 2019 L1O Stats". League1 Ontario.
  37. ^ "Julia Benati 2021 L1O Stats". League1 Ontario.
  38. ^ "Julia Benati 2022 L1O Stats". League1 Ontario.
  39. ^ a b "Julia Benati Stats". PlaymakerStats.
  40. ^ "Julia Benati 2023 L1O Stats". League1 Ontario.
  41. ^ "Julia Benati 2024 L1O Stats". League1 Ontario.
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