London's own: Julia Benati is back in Canada playing soccer and loving every second

The Northern Super League has created a new chapter in the soccer career of Dorchester’s Julia Benati

The Northern Super League launched in 2025 and it immediately provided a North American outlet for professional women’s soccer players who otherwise would have to look outside the continent.

For Dorchester’s Julia Benati it created an opportunity.

In life it is just about impossible to appreciate how difficult the road to a goal or a dream actually is unless you have travelled it yourself.

Benati will forever remain a reminder of the doors that the NSL has thrown open, because when she was breaking into the pro ranks of soccer those doors did not even exist.

Benati played in the NCAA at the University of Buffalo and from there entered chiropractic school as preparation for life after sport.

She played for five seasons for FC London in what was League One Ontario which was the highest level of soccer available to her and she was a star.

Midfielder of the Year. Most Valuable Player. The accolades - the big ones - rained down.

Benati’s performance got her thinking and wondering about pursuing a professional career.

She had it in her. She just needed to find a way in.

“When I decided that it was my dream to go pro I was thinking (that it would be easy) to get an opportunity somewhere,” remembers Benati. “Little did I know when I sent out my film for the first time clubs in Europe didn’t understand what level League One was and because they had nothing to compare it to I got no offers back.”

That’s when an NCAA connection made an actual connection for Benati.

“My associate coach at Buffalo, Casey Derkacz had a connection in Norway with a coach he knew who was willing to take a shot on me. They brought me into their club and that was like a stepping stone to be able to get film in the pro world and that's how I made the leap into Portugal after that,” says Benati.

The other question in Benati’s mind was simply whether or not she could play at the pro level.

Benati received a very quick answer as to the calibre of play she had been experiencing with FC London.

“When I stepped into the league in Norway it was actually a breath of fresh air to realize I actually fit in,” Benati smiles. “I showed I could compete at that level. I think that also speaks volumes about the level of play we have now going here (in Canada) and how much talent has been missed over the years because of not having a domestic league.”

The Northern Super League has changed all of that and now roads to professional careers can not only be simpler, the distance travelled doesn’t have to be nearly as long.

Benati’s time with the Halifax Tides FC has already been incredibly memorable.

She still gets DMs about her goal against Vancouver on Sept. 5, 2026.
Benati scored it in the 94th minute - from half - to win the match.

“The goal was a just a cool moment,” explains Benati. “We're in this really tight playoff run right now so at the time that goal (put us) into a playoff position and so that was an exciting moment for the team.”

That goal also demonstrated to Benati the following that the NSL is building.

“The support I've had from the community of London from both people that like I've had relationships with in the past and from people who I may not have never even spoken to before makes me feel so fortunate for anyone reaching out and supporting me in this journey.”

That journey is heading into an extremely important stretch as Halifax continues to push for a playoff spot.

Three matches remain for Tides FC and they find themselves one point back of Vancouver for the final post-season spot.

Benati is not taking the experience of playing in Canada for granted but making the playoffs and potentially playing a few more games this season would make that experience just that much better.