UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. – Penn State women's soccer head coach Erica Dambach announced the signing of California standout defender Brooklyn Antonucci to the Nittany Lions' 2026 roster on Thursday.
"Our Penn State women's soccer family is thrilled to welcome Brooklyn to Happy Valley," Dambach said. "Brooklyn has established herself as a relentless competitor whose athleticism, versatility and defensive instincts have allowed her to excel at every level of the game. She brings valuable collegiate experience along with a tireless work ethic, and we believe our environment will allow her to continue developing into a high-impact player while helping our program compete at the highest level."
BROOKLYN ANTONUCCI | JUNIOR | DEFENDER | RANCHO CUCAMONGA, CALIF.
ETIWANDA / LONG BEACH STATE / LEGENDS FC
A proven defender with both collegiate and elite youth club experience, Antonucci joins the Nittany Lions after beginning her collegiate career at Long Beach State, where she developed into one of the Beach's most dependable back-line contributors. During the 2025 campaign, Antonucci started and appeared in 17 matches while logging 1,421 minutes, showcasing her consistency and durability as a cornerstone of the Long Beach defense. She made an immediate impact during her freshman season in 2023, earning All-Big West Second Team and Big West All-Freshman Team recognition while collecting Big West Freshman of the Week honors twice. Prior to her collegiate career, Antonucci spent a decade competing with Legends FC in the Development Academy and ECNL under coaches Josh Hodges, Neil Powell and Kevin Boyd. Her decorated prep career at Etiwanda High School included three First Team All-CIF selections, two Baseline League MVP honors, Inland Empire Player of the Year recognition in 2023, Athlete of the Year honors and designation as a Baseline Scholar Athlete while ranking among the top five students in her graduating class. Antonucci also earned an invitation as an alternate player to a U.S. National Team training camp in 2023.
A native of Rancho Cucamonga, California, Antonucci was born in December of 2004 and is the daughter of Jimmy Antonucci. She has two siblings, Scottlyn and Tanner, with Scottlyn currently competing on the women's soccer roster at North Carolina. During her time in Happy Valley, Antonucci plans to study communications at Penn State. She hopes to continue her soccer career professionally following graduation before pursuing a career in either real estate or medical ultrasound technology.
FOLLOW BROOKLYN ON SOCIAL
Instagram | @Brooklyn.antonucci
WHY BROOKLYN CHOSE PENN STATE
“I chose to continue my career at Penn State because of the welcoming and competitive environment I instantly felt walking on campus,” Antonucci stated. “From the moment I was there, I saw that Penn State was a place that was going to challenge me to grow both as a player and a person. I feel incredibly blessed for the opportunity to be apart of such a prestigious program and to be able to take the next step in my athletic and academic journey.
FOLLOW THE NITTANY LIONS
Visit GoPSUSports.com for more information on Penn State women’s soccer. Fans can keep up to date with the Nittany Lion women’s soccer team on X and Instagram @PennStateWSOC, in addition to the team’s Facebook page at /PSUWomensSoccer.