UMD Athletics

AS A BULLDOG:
2020-21: Far and away his best season in the Bulldog sweater, tallying 20 points in all 28 games... finished the year with a career best seven goals... dished out a career best 13 assists... took a career high 52 shots (.135 shooting percentage)... finished the year with a +13 mark... tallied a game winner (against the University of Denver on Dec. 12, 2020)... scored the second power play goal of his career (Quarterfinals of NCHC Frozen Faceoff, Western Michigan, Mar. 12, 2021)... tallied four assists in one game (Western Michigan, Jan. 23, 2021), the first time since 2020... took five penalties for 21 minutes... had 20 blocks on the year... was named to the NCHC All-Academic team.
2019-20: Bender enjoyed his best year yet in his first full year with the Bulldogs, grabbing a career high eight points on the year (five goals, three assists) including a game winning goal against St. Cloud State... was one of nine Bulldogs to score two goals in a single game in the final game of the season, a 6-1 win against St. Cloud State... more than quadrupled his shots from his sophomore year from eight to 35.... grabbed his first penalty of his career against Colorado College, finished the year with eight penalties and 16 minutes... was named to the NCHC Academic All-Conference team.
2018-19:  Was used on a somewhat limited basis for the second year in a row ... came away with four points (three goals and one assist) while taking shifts in 16 games ... generated the first multi-point night of his UMD career by striking for a pair of goals in a 6-0 road takedown of Colorado College on Feb. 2 ... secured NCHC Academic All-Conference Team honors for the second time in as many seasons.
2017-18: Handled a reserve role -- making nine appearances -- as a Bulldog rookie  ... made his collegiate debut in UMD's two-game NCHC road series with St. Cloud State the first weekend in November and cracked the Bulldog lineup for a final time on Dec. 30 against host Dartmouth College at the Ledyard Classic ... collected one assist (in a 5-0 takedown of Yale in the Ledyard Classic opener) on the year ...wore No. 8 during the 2017-18 season ... qualified for the 2017-18 NCHC Academic All-Conference Team.
BEFORE UMD: Engaged in one season of United States Hockey League warfare before enrolling at UMD ... averaged a point a game for the the 2016-17 Muskegon Lumberjacks (which set club records for wins and league points), posting six goals and 16 assists for 22 points while going a +8 in 55 regular season outings ... added a pair of assists during Muskegon’s four-game USHL playoff run ... bypassed his senior year at Cloquet High School in 2015-16 to compete for his hometown Minnesota Wilderness ... his stat line with that North American Hockey League franchise consisted of 18 goals and 36 assists in 66 overall outings ... closed out that season with a two-game USHL stint as a member of the Chicago Steel ... skated for three years with the Cloquet High School hockey varsity (where he was a teammate of 2017-18 Bulldog team captain Karson Kuhlman for one season) ... led the Lumberjacks in scoring as a junior in 2014-15 en route to attaining All-Lake Superior Conference honors ... also played one season of prep baseball (shortstop and pitcher) ... is a 2016 graduate of Cloquet High School.
BULLDOG MILESTONES: First Game - at St. Cloud State (Nov. 3, 2017). First Goal - vs. Omaha (Jan. 26, 2019). First Assist - vs. Yale (Dec. 29, 2017). Most Points, Game - 2 at Colorado College (Feb. 2, 2019). Most Shots, Game - 3 at Colorado College (Feb. 2, 2019). Longest Scoring Streak - 1 Game (5 Times).
PERSONAL: Born Koby Keith Bender in Cloquet, Minn. ... is the son of Tony Bender and Brenda Gigliotti ... has two younger siblings (Kade and Kiana, who has signed on to play softball at UMD beginning in 2020-21) ... is majoring in finance at UMD.