2024 • SENIOR SEASON
Awards: Named as a Third Team United Soccer Coaches All-North Region selection in the postseason… Picked up Second Team All-Big Ten laurels from the league office… Selected to the TopDrawerSoccer National Team of the Week following her performance against Texas Tech in the organization’s release on August 20… Chosen as a Second Team College Sports Communicators Academic All-American in addition to a CSC Academic All-District selection… Secured Academic All-B1G accolades as well as Big Ten Distinguished Scholar honors in the postseason.
Season: Was an instant star for the Nittany Lions in her only season donning the Blue & White, finishing as the team’s second-leading scorer… Appeared and started in all 25 matches for the Nittany Lions in their run to the national quarterfinals, racking up 1,624 minutes played in the field… Logged a trio of goals on her own while assisting on 12 additional tallies, finishing with 18 total points… Notched the highest assist total in a single season by a Nittany Lion since Sam Coffey booked a 12-helper season in the 2020-21 spring campaign… Finished as the Big Ten Conference’s statistical champion in assists with a dozen, joining Ohio State’s Amanda Schlueter at the top of the leaderboard… Ranked ninth in the nation in total assists, while standing third in the B1G and 24th nationally with 0.48 assists per match… Amassed 40 total shots, with half of those going on frame… Connected on one match-winning goal in her final collegiate campaign, burying the match-winner against Texas Tech in the regular season opener.
Texas Tech (8/15): Roared out of the gates in her first match as a Nittany Lion, earning the start and playing 64 minutes… Scored the match-winning goal in the seventh minute and assisted on another for a three-point outing in her PSU debut… West Virginia (8/25): Assisted on two of Kaitlyn MacBean’s trio of goals against the Mountaineers, recording her only multi-assist outing of the year in 50 minutes of work… at Saint Louis (9/1): Took four shots and placed two on target while notching an assist on another MacBean goal as PSU picked up a crucial nationally ranked road win over the Billikens… Michigan (9/12): Found the back of the net in her only shot of the match, contributing a tally to a dominant 6-0 B1G-opening onslaught against the Wolverines… Columbia (9/15): Celebrated Senior Day with a goal in her second straight match, burying a score on her only shot attempt in 51 minutes of action… Northwestern (9/19): Started and saw 68 minutes of work in the hard fought win over the Wildcats, logging an assist on the match-winning goal… Rutgers (10/4): Helped the Blue & White work to a 1-1 draw against the Scarlet Knights, booking a helper in 77 minutes of playing time… Minnesota (10/13): Notched an assist for the Nittany Lions in a pivotal Big Ten home matchup, guiding Penn State to a 3-2 victory over the Golden Gophers… at Minnesota (11/1): Logged an assist, three shots and one shot on goal as PSU upset the tournament host Golden Gophers in a 1-0 affair in the opening round of the Big Ten Tournament… vs. TCU (11/24): Tallied her 12th assist of her senior season in a gritty 1-0 win over the Horned Frogs, powering PSU to its eighth consecutive Sweet 16 in the process.
BEFORE PENN STATE
An impressive attacking midfielder, distributor and goal-scoring threat, Fusco arrived in Happy Valley after a trio of decorated seasons at the University of Tennessee… During her impressive career in Knoxville, Fusco totaled 38 points split between 14 total goals in addition to 10 assists, making 61 appearances and 53 starts in three years with the Lady Vols… Fusco arrives in the nation’s premier soccer conference after landing First Team All-SEC honors a season ago after booking six goals and four assists for 16 total points, highlighted by her first career hat trick against Texas A&M in league play on Oct. 22… She ranked fifth on the team in scoring in her 2022 sophomore effort after starting all 19 matches… In 2021, Fusco finished as the No. 13-ranked freshman in the nation according to TopDrawerSoccer after amassing 13 points in her rookie campaign split between four goals and five assists.
HIGH SCHOOL & CLUB
Rated as the No. 101 overall prospect and No. 31 midfielder by IMG Academy/TopDrawerSoccer for the class of 2021… Named a 2019 Youth Girls All-American by the United Soccer Coaches… Played club soccer for Internationals SC alongside fellow 2021 Tennessee signee Taylor Huff… Three-time ECNL Player Development Program invitee and All-Ohio Valley Conference… Named to the Best XI at the 2018 ECNL National Camp in Portland, Oregon… Played two years of high school soccer as a freshman and sophomore for Olmsted Falls, earning all-conference honors both seasons and picking up all-state accolades in 2018.
PERSONAL
A native of Olmsted Township, Ohio, Fusco is the eldest child and only daughter of Janae and Scott Fusco… She has one younger brother, named Dominic, who is four years her junior… Fusco excelled academically during her tenure at Tennessee, earning her Bachelor of Science degree in kinesiology earlier this year… While at Penn State, she will pursue a graduate degree in business management from the prestigious Smeal College of Business… After expending her collegiate eligibility, Fusco plans to play professionally and ultimately pursue a career as a physician’s assistant.
WHY PENN STATE
“I chose to transfer to Penn State for its exceptional soccer program, with an emphasis on the coaching staff and the family-like atmosphere I felt while I was visiting. I truly believe the coaches here at PSU are the best in the country. I am so excited to join a competitive and determined group of women who share the same values that I do. This school’s reputation as an excellent academic institution helped push me to make this decision, as well as the stellar Penn State alumni network. I can’t wait to get this next chapter started.”