Julia Benneckenstein is set to make Jefferson history by representing her native country on the pitch

Jefferson University soccer player Julia Benneckenstein is set to make history on two fronts.

First, for her native country: On Feb. 21, Benneckenstein will take the field for Liechtenstein as it faces Armenia in the UEFA women’s Nations League. This will mark the first time the country has participated in a competitive international women’s soccer tournament.

Second, for her university: The junior defender will become the first Jefferson student-athlete to play for a national team in any sport.

“It’s just an exciting time for her to be able to represent the team and really represent the school,” said Jefferson coach Kyle Schumann. “We’re just excited for her to be able to play at the highest level and on her senior team. … It’s a big event, a big tournament, and a really big deal for her country.”

Jefferson is coming off its best season in school history, winning a program-record 19 games (19-1-3). Going undefeated in conference play, the Rams won their seventh Central Atlantic Collegiate Conference championship. The historic season culminated in the program’s first NCAA Division II tournament win and a run to the Sweet 16.

“We had an incredible season, making the Sweet 16, and that definitely showed me what it takes to compete at a high level,” said Benneckenstein, who played in 13 games. “We have a great group of girls, everybody is on a very high level. Just experience playing in big pressure-filled matches has definitely prepared me for what’s going to come in the Nations League.”

Liechtenstein is the sixth smallest country in the world at just 62 square miles. For comparison, Benneckenstein’s new home of Philadelphia is more than double the size at 135 square miles.

Benneckenstein found soccer at a young age, following the path of her older brother, Constantin. There was not a girls’ team for her to play on, so she played with the boys. Eventually, she joined a coed team before playing at the club level in neighboring Switzerland.

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Meanwhile, Liechtenstein led a national effort to catapult women’s soccer into the mainstream. In 2015, the Liechtenstein Football Association launched national women’s teams at the youth and senior levels. Benneckenstein was a part of the national team from the start.

“We kept that same [national] team and went from under-16, to under-17, and then to under-19,” Benneckenstein said. “It was almost all the same girls. We competed in development tournaments, playing against other smaller countries, competing on similar levels.”

Due to the size of the country, most of the Liechtenstein players compete together at the club level, when national play is on pause. But since Benneckenstein is attending college in the United States, she does not have this luxury.

Instead, she keeps in touch with her teammates through their group chat.

Before attending Jefferson, Benneckenstein played soccer at Itawamba Community College in Fulton, Miss., where former Eagles running back and assistant coach Duce Staley (1995) and cornerback Darius Slay (2010) attended the two-year college.

Benneckenstein credits Itawamba’s location for molding her skills on the field. There was “not a lot around” the campus, so she had more time to focus on soccer. Playing at the junior college level also prepared her for the “high intensity and physicality” of Division II.

“It’s definitely three different worlds,” Benneckenstein said of playing in Europe, Mississippi, and finally Philadelphia.

When Benneckenstein arrived at Jefferson, her work ethic quickly made her stick out to the Rams’ coaching staff.

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“She’s just very consistent in her approach every day,” Schumann said. “Despite everything that might be going on behind the scenes. Sometimes players may struggle with their consistency, how they’re training, and how they’re showing up for their teammates. But Julia is just a true professional in what she brings every day. The consistency in the locker room, in our team huddles, and when she’s on the field, leading her group on the back line.”

When the season ended, Benneckenstein found more time to immerse herself in what the city has to offer, including the sports fandom. Although impressed with the intensity of the fans, she was not shocked.

“We definitely do have crazy fans [in Europe],” she said. “Being in the stadium and just that atmosphere is definitely another level back home.”

Benneckenstein will be reintroduced to Liechtenstein’s crazed fans when she takes the pitch on Feb. 21. Jefferson will also be rooting for her from across the Atlantic.