Not only is Bennett Haas ‘28 a student-athlete at Chatham University, but he has also found success on a national scale. Haas, who is deaf and a soccer player by trade, is a part of the United States Men’s Deaf National Team, Chatham University men’s soccer team and a student in the School of Business & Enterprise.
From Sewickley, Haas has appeared 30 times for the Cougars in his first two years, scoring three times and assisting on two occasions. Haas has also appeared on five occasions for the U.S. Men’s Deaf National Team, having traveled to Brazil and Japan for major international competitions.
His prowess as a player has allowed him to represent the United States at an international level for the deaf men’s national team. Every player representing the country has a hearing loss of 55 decibels or more in their “better ear,” according to U.S. soccer.
“I’ve been very lucky to have teammates that are very understanding of that,” Haas said about his past and current teammates. While playing for Chatham, Haas wears a cochlear implant that allows him to hear the game, his teammates and his surroundings.
While playing with the national side, Haas must remove his implant in order to compete, as does every other athlete on the team. Haas described it as a “pretty odd experience,” but one that is “kind of peaceful in some ways.”
Many members of the deaf team communicate using American Sign Language and other visual cues, coordinating tactics with specialized hand signs and signals. All three referees for a match use flags to indicate stoppages as players do not have their implants or aides.
But for Haas, this has never been an issue in his eyes.
“It’s just a big part of my life that doesn’t affect me as much as some people may think,” he said.
During his five appearances for the national team, he scored once and provided an assist. His goal involvement was key in helping the national team to qualify for the 2025 Deaflympics in a 4-0 win over Mexico. His contributions also helped in grabbing third place in the 2024 Pan-American games.
At the Deaflympics, the men’s soccer team finished in fourth place, after falling to France 0-1 in the bronze medal match.
“I feel incredibly blessed to be able to travel across the world and looking forward to continuing to do that and continuing to be a Chatham student athlete,” Haas said.
In an Instagram post following his Tokyo competition, Haas captioned the experience as “I bleed red, white and I can’t hear you.”
The cousin of Chatham women’s soccer standout Halle Marsalis ‘26, Haas has become a staple of the starting lineup of the Cougars, having been involved in the 2024 playoff appearance and several key results over the last two years.
Haas has felt at home at Chatham since arriving in 2024.
“Chatham is a very welcoming community, regardless of your ethnic background,” Haas said.
The Chatham academic staff has provided him with plenty of support throughout his time here.
“Almost all of my professors have been understanding, whether it’s saying that I won’t be at class because I have a game or if it’s asking if I can bring a recruit so they can step into our shoes for a day,” Haas said.
He has learned over time how to balance his lifestyle.
“I think I found friends quickly,” Haas said. “One of my best friends is my roommate last year. The soccer team makes it easy for me to feel at home.”