Stephen Bennett (hurler)

{{Infobox Gaelic games player

| code = Hurling

| sport = Hurling

| image =

| name = Stephen Bennett

| irish = Stiofán Mac Beinéid

| feet = 6

| inches = 1

| nickname =

| occupation = Primary Teacher

| county = Waterford

| province = Munster

| club = Ballysaggart

| clubs =

| clyears =

| clapps(points) =

| clcounty = 0

| clprovince =

| clallireland =

| colleges = University of Limerick

| colyears = 2013-2017

| fitz = 1

| counties = Waterford

| icposition = Full-forward

| icyears = 2014-present

| icapps(points) = 33 (5-153)

| icprovince = 0

| icallireland = 0

| nhl = 2

| allstars = 1

| clupdate =

| icupdate = 18:34, 23 May 2022

| birth_date = {{Birth date and age|df=yes|1995|10|8}}

| birth_place = Ballysaggart, County Waterford, Ireland

}}

Stephen Bennett (born 8 October 1995) is an Irish hurler who plays for Waterford Intermediate Championship club Ballysaggart and at inter-county level with the Waterford senior hurling team. He usually lines out as a full-forward.

Playing career

=Blackwater Community School=

Bennett first came to prominence as a hurler with Blackwater Community School in Lismore. He played in every grade of hurling and enjoyed some success. On 23 November 2011, Bennett scored ten points for Blackwater CS in their 0-11 to 0-08 defeat of Dungarvan Community School to win the Dean Ryan Cup.{{cite web|url=https://www.irishexaminer.com/sport/gaa/bennett-the-ace-as-blackwater-record-historic-win-174825.html|title=Bennett the ace as Blackwater record historic win|publisher=Irish Examiner|date=24 November 2011|accessdate=14 February 2019|first=John|last=Murphy}} He also spent four years with the Blackwater CS senior hurling team in the Dr. Harty Cup.{{cite web|url=https://www.independent.ie/sport/gaelic-games/hurling/bennett-and-dise-have-eyes-fixed-on-redemption-37617912.html|title=Bennett and Déise have eyes fixed on redemption|publisher=Irish Independent|date=12 December 2018|accessdate=14 February 2019|first=|last=}}

=University of Limerick=

During his studies at the University of Limerick, Bennett was selected for the college's senior hurling team. On 11 March 2015, he came on as a substitute and won a Fitzgibbon Cup medal as UL defeated the Waterford Institute of Technology by 2-18 to 1-14 in a replay of the final at Páirc Uí Rinn.{{cite web|url=https://www.independent.ie/sport/gaelic-games/hurling/ul-crowned-the-independentie-fitzgibbon-cup-champions-after-replay-win-over-wit-31059883.html|title=UL crowned the Independent.ie Fitzgibbon Cup champions after replay win over WIT|date=11 March 2015|publisher=Irish Independent|accessdate=30 July 2018|first=Cóilín|last=Duffy}}

=Ballysaggart=

Bennett first played hurling at juvenile and underage levels with Naomh Carthach, an amalgamation of Ballysaggart and Lismore. He eventually joined Ballysaggart's top adult team.

On 27 October 2013, he scored 1-12 when Ballysaggart defeated Tramore by 1-18 to 1-09 to win the Waterford Junior Championship.{{cite web|url=https://www.irishexaminer.com/archives/2013/1028/ireland/bennett-blasts-ballysaggart-to-junior-glory-247646.html|title=Bennett blasts Ballysaggart to junior glory|date=28 October 2013|publisher=Irish Examiner|accessdate=5 July 2018|first=|last=}} On 8 December, he lined out at full-forward against Feenagh-Kilmeedy in the final of the Munster Championship. He top scored with 1-07 and collected a winners' medal after the 3-12 to 0-15 victory.{{cite web|url=https://www.irishexaminer.com/sport/gaa/hurling/meagher-shares-out-ballysaggart-plaudits-252102.html|title=Meagher shares out Ballysaggart plaudits|date=9 December 2013|publisher=Irish Examiner|accessdate=5 July 2018|first=John|last=Fogarty}} On 8 February 2014, Ballysaggart faced Creggan Kickhams in the All-Ireland final. Bennett top scored with 2-07 in the 5-12 to 2-21 draw.{{cite web|url=https://www.independent.ie/sport/hurling/bennett-strikes-late-to-rescue-ballysaggart-29994243.html|title=Bennett strikes late to rescue Ballysaggart|date=10 February 2014|publisher=Irish Independent|accessdate=5 July 2018|first=|last=}} The replay on 15 February saw Bennett score 1-01 in the 1-07 to 1-11 defeat for Ballysaggart.{{cite web|url=https://www.independent.ie/sport/hurling/all-ireland-club-jhc-final-replay-creggan-take-title-30013882.html|title=All Ireland Club JHC final replay: Creggan take title|date=16 February 2014|publisher=Irish Independent|accessdate=5 July 2018|first=|last=}}

=Waterford=

==Minor and under-21==

Bennett first played for Waterford when he was selected for the minor team in advance of the 2012 Munster Championship. He made his first appearance on 2 May when he scored seven points in a 1-20 to 3-13 extra-time defeat by Clare.{{cite web|url=https://www.independent.ie/sport/hurling/curran-proves-deise-hero-26849424.html|title=Curran proves Deise hero|publisher=Irish Independent|date=3 May 2012|accessdate=27 July 2015|first=|last=}} Waterford's championship ended with a defeat by Tipperary at the semi-final stage, however, Bennett ended the season as Waterford's top scorer with 0-12.

Bennett was eligible for the minor grade again the following year. On 23 July 2013, he scored 3-02 when Waterford suffered a 1-20 to 4-08 defeat by Limerick in the Munster Championship final.{{cite web|url=https://www.irishexaminer.com/archives/2013/0724/ireland/limerick-end-29-year-wait-for-munster-title-in-style-237793.html|title=Limerick end 29-year wait for Munster title in style|date=24 July 2013|publisher=Irish Examiner|accessdate=30 July 2018|first=Jackie|last=Cahill}} On 8 September, Bennett lined out at right wing-forward when Waterford faced Galway in the All-Ireland final. He scored four points from play in the 1-21 to 0-16 victory.{{cite web|url=https://www.the42.ie/waterford-beat-galway-all-ireland-minor-hurling-final-1074442-Sep2013/|title=Waterford end 65-year wait for All-Ireland minor title|date=8 September 2013|publisher=The 42|accessdate=30 July 2018|first=Paul|last=Fennessy}}

After progressing onto the Waterford under-21 team, Bennett made his first appearance for the team on 16 July 2014. He scored a point after coming on as a substitute in a 3-18 to 0-16 defeat by Cork.{{cite web|url=https://www.irishexaminer.com/sport/gaa/collins-pulls-out-all-the-stops-275757.html|title=Collins pulls out all the stops|date=17 July 2014|publisher=Irish Examiner|accessdate=30 July 2018|first=|last=}}

On 27 July 2016, Bennett lined out in his first Munster Championship final. He scored 1-01 from right corner-forward in the 2-19 to 0-15 defeat of Tipperary.{{cite web|url=https://www.rte.ie/sport/gaa/2016/0727/805288-waterford-v-tipperary/|title=Waterford find extra gear to claim Munster U21 hurling title|date=28 July 2016|publisher=RTÉ Sport|accessdate=30 July 2018|first=Tomás|last=McCarthy}} On 10 September, Bennett was moved to full-forward for the All-Ireland final against Galway. He scored two goals in the 5-15 to 0-14 victory and collected a winners' medal in what was his last game in the grade.{{cite web|url=http://hoganstand.com/article/index/260712|title=All-Ireland U21 HC final: dazzling Deise surge past Tribesmen|date=10 September 2016|publisher=Hogan Stand|accessdate=30 July 2018|first=|last=}} Bennett ended the season by being named Player of the Year.{{cite web|url=https://www.the42.ie/stephen-bennett-u21-player-of-the-year-3016990-Oct2016/|title=Waterford's Stephen Bennett named U21 player of the year|date=8 October 2016|publisher=The 42|accessdate=30 July 2018|first=Paul|last=Fennessy}}

==Senior==

Bennett was just 18-years-old when he was added to the Waterford senior team. He made his first appearance on 19 July 2014 when he came on as a 62nd-minute substitute for Liam Lawlor in a 3-15 to 2-15 defeat by Wexford.{{cite web|url=https://www.irishexaminer.com/breakingnews/sport/wexford-on-warpath-for-semis-after-victory-over-deise-636846.html|title=Wexford on warpath for semis after victory over Deise|date=19 July 2014|publisher=Irish Examiner|accessdate=30 July 2018|first=Jackie|last=Cahill}}

On 3 May 2015, Bennett was a late change to the Waterford team that faced Cork in the 2015 National League final. He scored a point from left corner-forward and collected a winners' medal after the 1-24 to 0-17 victory.{{cite web|url=https://www.the42.ie/waterford-cork-2082951-May2015/|title=Waterford crowned hurling league champions with emphatic win over Cork|date=3 May 2015|publisher=The 42|accessdate=2 January 2019|first=Fintan|last=O'Toole}} On 12 July 2015, Bennett lined out at right corner-forward in the Munster Championship final but was substituted by his brother Shane in the 0-21 to 0-16 defeat.{{cite web|url=https://www.independent.ie/sport/gaelic-games/hurling/tipperary-claim-munster-hurling-title-with-tight-win-over-waterford-31370896.html|title=Tipperary claim Munster hurling title with tight win over Waterford|date=6 March 2012|publisher=Irish Independent|accessdate=2 January 2019|first=Seán|last=McGoldrick}}

In November 2015, it was announced that Bennett would miss the 2016 National Hurling League after undergoing two hip operations.{{cite web|url=https://www.irishexaminer.com/sport/gaa/hurling/stephen-bennett-to-miss-waterfords-league-campaign-365810.html|title=Stephen Bennett to miss Waterford's league campaign|date=19 November 2016|publisher=Irish Examiner|accessdate=2 January 2019|first=Paddy|last=Hickey}} He made his return to the Waterford team on 5 June 2016 when he came on as a late substitute for Michael Walsh in a 1-21 to 0-17 defeat of Clare.{{cite web|url=https://www.irishexaminer.com/breakingnews/sport/austin-gleesons-scintillating-scores-give-waterford-revenge-738616.html|title=Austin Gleeson's scintillating scores give Waterford revenge|date=5 June 2016|publisher=Irish Examiner|accessdate=2 January 2019|first=John|last=Fogarty}} On 10 July, Bennett was an unused substitute when Waterford suffered a 5-19 to 0-13 defeat by Tipperary in the Munster Championship final.{{cite web|url=https://www.independent.ie/sport/gaelic-games/hurling/tipp-torrents-wash-deise-hopes-away-34872402.html|title=Tipp torrents wash Deise hopes away|date=11 July 2016|publisher=Irish Independent|accessdate=2 January 2019|first=Martin|last=Breheny}}

On 3 September 2017, Bennett was an unused substitute when Waterford faced Galway in the All-Ireland final. Waterford eventually lost the game by 0-26 to 2-17.{{cite web|url=https://www.independent.ie/sport/gaelic-games/hurling/galway-end-all-ireland-famine-with-tight-win-over-waterford-at-croke-park-36095604.html|title=Galway end All Ireland famine with tight win over Waterford at Croke Park|date=3 September 2017|publisher=Irish Independent|accessdate=2 January 2019|first=Seán|last=McGoldrick}}

Career statistics

rowspan="2"\|Team !rowspan="2"\|Year !colspan="3"\|National League !colspan="2"\|Munster !colspan="2"\|All-Ireland !colspan="2"\|Total
class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
Division	Apps	Score	Apps	Score	Apps	Score	Apps	Score
rowspan="10"\|Waterford \|2014 \|rowspan="1"\|Division 1A \|0	0-00	0	0-00	1	0-00	1	0-00
2015 \|rowspan="1"\|Division 1B \|4	0-00	2	0-02	2	0-00	8	0-02
2016 \|rowspan="4"\|Division 1A \|0	0-00	1	0-00	2	0-00	3	0-00
2017 \|5	2-07	1	0-01	2	0-00	8	2-08
2018 \|4	0-07	4	0-04	colspan=2\|—	8	0-11
2019 \|8	4-85	4	1-21	colspan=2\|—	12	5-106
2020 \|rowspan="4"\|Division 1B \|5	3-24	2	0-24	2	1-20	9	4-68
2021 \|4	1-43	1	0-12	4	2-28	9	3-83
2022 \|5	8-51	4	1-29	colspan=2\|—	9	9-80
2023 \|1	2-07	1	0-12			2	2-19
colspan="3"\|Career total !36	20-224	20	2-105	13	3-48	70	24-377