Sports

SHS Grad Joins Marquette Soccer as Highest-rated Recruit in Program's History

The No. 1 ranked player in the Midwest region, Louis Bennett II, will play under his father as a midfielder on the Golden Eagles this spring.

Shorewood High School alumnus Louis Bennett II will join the Marquette University soccer team this spring — and play under his father — as the highest-rated recruit in the program's history.

The 5-foot-9 midfielder has been labeled the No. 1 player in the Midwest region, and is ranked No. 33 nationally at his position and No. 65 overall in the “IMG Academy Top 150” for the class of 2013, as compiled by TopDrawerSoccer.

Bennett, who comes to the Golden Eagles from the Chicago Fire Academy to play collegiately under his father, graduated from SHS in December and joins Marquette as a freshman.

Find out what's happening in Shorewoodwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

As a member of the Chicago Fire Academy, Bennett was named to the 2012 U.S. Soccer Development Academy's Under-15/16 All-Central Conference team and was part of a squad that made a run to the 2012 national finals. In 2010, Bennett was invited to train overseas with FC Kohl (Germany) and AIK Stockholm (Sweden). Before transferring to Lake Forest Academy, he spent his freshman and sophomore years in Shorewood, where he earned all-district and all-conference recognition.

“Louis decided to come in early and is the first in our 2013 recruiting group to arrive on campus,” Coach Louis Bennett added. “We have seen this happen with a lot of the top players in the country where they have been able to include their incoming players very early with their academics and workouts with the squads.”

Find out what's happening in Shorewoodwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

Marquette followed up its first-ever Big East Division championship with arguably the greatest season in the 49-year history of the men's soccer program in 2012. It closed the 2012 season with a 16-4-1 overall record and an appearance in the NCAA second round, after earning a No. 7 seed. 

MU is expected to announce the rest of its 2013 recruiting class sometime after NCAA National Signing Day on Feb. 6, 2013.


Get more local news delivered straight to your inbox. Sign up for free Patch newsletters and alerts.

We’ve removed the ability to reply as we work to make improvements. Learn more here

More from Shorewood