Canyons Goalkeeper Kian Bensend Signs with TMU

By Jesse Muñoz/COC Sports Information Director 

College of the Canyons goalkeeper Kian Bensend will continue his collegiate career in the Santa Clarita Valley, after signing on for a spot between the posts at nearby The Master's University over the weekend. 

The Master's University is an NAIA institution located in Santa Clarita, CA. The Mustangs compete in the Golden State Athletic Conference. 

Bensend leaves COC after a one-year stint as the team's primary goalkeeper. The sophomore out of Mission Heights Preparatory High School in Casa Grande, Arizona was in net for all three of the Cougars' wins in 2019.

In what was an up-and-down season for Canyons, Bensend provided a steady presence in goal, appearing in all 18 games and logging 17 starts.

Bensend recorded three shutouts on the season, with the Cougars going 2-0-1 in those games. He also logged 119 saves, good for a .804 save percentage, along with a 1.71 GAA. 

Those numbers helped Bensend earn All-Western State Conference (WSC), South Division Honorable Mention accolades. He was one of six Cougars to earn all-conference honors. 

COC (3-11-4, 2-3-3) finished the 2019 season a game short of winning a second straight conference title after falling to visiting Bakersfield College 2-1 in the season finale. The Cougars went 2-1-3 across the final six matches to end the season.

Earlier this spring, Bensend graduated with cum laude honors as a member of the College of the Canyons 50th Anniversary class, earning an associate of arts degree in kinesiology. 

He is the fifth member of the COC men's soccer program to transfer to play at a four-year school since the 2017 season.

Stay up to date on all this season's action by following the College of the Canyons Athletic department on social media at @COCathletics on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook and YouTube.

—Photo courtesy of TMU Athletics