March 19, 2018
From the Scottish Highlands, to Rochester, NY, soccer has taken Lancers midfielder Ben Allan on quite the journey. Born in Aberchirder, Scotland, soccer has always been a part of Ben's life.
His father Martin played for Aberdeen FC's under-21 team, and was discovered by none other than former Manchester United Legend Sir Alex Ferguson. His mother Amanda, now a coach in her own right, took an interest in the sport after meeting his father.
His parents established Deveronvale Girls FC. The club has grown from one U17 team to include U13s, U16s, and a team in the Scottish Women's Premier League 2, the Deveronvale Ladies.
A talent scout discovered Ben playing in his native Scotland and provided him with the opportunity to play college soccer in the United States. Ben decided that the chance was too good to pass up on, and ended up at Division II King University in Bristol, Tennessee. He just finished his 4th season there, where he was a starter all four years. He earned All-Conference Carolina Honors this past season, as well as being selected on the Academic All-Conference Carolinas, carrying a 3.51 GPA.
Looking for more competitive games to keep him fit for his senior season at King University, Ben attended tryouts with the Lancers. After enjoying a successful preseason, Ben was added to the inaugural roster. His next move would be to Rochester, NY. Initially a reserve, a string of good performances solidified Ben's role in the starting lineup. He finished the season playing in 11 games and finishing 4th on the team with 862 minutes played, scoring 1 goal.
2018 will be a pivotal year for Ben. With 1 year of NPSL experience under his belt, as well as 4 years at the Division II College level, he looks to take his game to the next level and help the Lancers make the playoffs.
His next move after that; we'll have to wait and see.