Charlotte FC, the newest expansion club to join the MLS, made Maryland men’s soccer midfielder Ben Bender its first-ever draft selection with the No. 1 overall pick in Tuesday’s MLS SuperDraft.
Bender burst onto the scene in the 11-game spring season in 2021. An untraditional freshman year still allowed the local recruit to earn All-Big Ten Second Team honors after starting every match.
The light sample size was just an appetizer to his breakout campaign just a few months later, however, as a full-length fall season saw the sophomore establish himself as one of the premier draft prospects in the country.