Utica University Women's Soccer

Brooke Barbuto enters her fifth season as the head coach of the Utica University womens soccer program in 2023. She was hired by Athletic Director Dave Fontaine in the Summer of 2019. The Syracuse, NY native has continued the programs positive momentum from recent years in her four seasons on the job. Barbuto has led the Pioneers to three Empire 8 Championship game appearances and the team has reached the postseason in all four years of her tenure. That includes the programs first Empire 8 tournament title and NCAA tournament appearance in 2019. She has piloted the squad to a record of 30-25-9 over a three season span. She has coached her players to a total of thirteen All-Conference nods.  Barbutos first season was one for the ages. The 2019 edition of the Pioneers finished with a record of 12-6-1, culminating in the programs first Empire 8 tournament title and an NCAA tournament appearance against William Smith College in Geneva, NY. Utica won both of its E8 tournament games by 1-0 scores, including their decisive finals victory against host Hartwick College.  Barbuto came to Utica after a stint as an assistant at SUNY Cortland. In the 2018 season at Cortland, she coached six All-Conference honorees and one All-Region honoree en route to the SUNYAC conference tournament final.  She also served two seasons as head womens soccer coach in the NJCAA Division III program at Bryant and Stratton College in Syracuse. Beyond her collegiate coaching experience, she has also served for many years as a coach with the Syracuse Development Academy and the CNY Family Sports Center.  Barbuto also maintains an active playing career, most recently in the regional semi-pro ranks with the Syracuse Development Academy, Rochester Lancers, and Krajisnik FC womens teams. She has an extensive professional playing resume that began in 2009 with the Buffalo (WNY) Flash. The Flash played in what was widely regarded as the second highest level of women's soccer in the United States. In 2011 she began a successful seven year stretch of playing professional soccer overseas. In 2011 she led Haukar (Reykavik, Iceland) in scoring in the highly competitive Dield Division I league. She then spent two seasons in Kokkola, Finland where she earned a promotion from Ykkonen (Division I) to Naisten Liiga, was a one year captain, and the 2013 MVP.  From 2014-2016 she played for NiceFutis (Pori, Finland) in the country's highest professional soccer league.  She was a two year captain, league MVP and was nominated for top athlete in Pori. Her professional career came to a close in 2017 as she guided the Peninsula Power (Brisbane, Australia) to a National Premier League Queensland Championship. She led the team and the NPL in goals scored. A four-year starter at Division I Stony Brook University, she finished her college career with 17 goals and nine assists. While at Stony Brook she was selected to the All-Academic team, America East All-Rookie Team, All-America East First Team, NSCAA All-Northeast Region First Team, Soccer Buzz Magazine's All-Northeast Region Second Team, and America East Tournament All-Championship team. She served as team captain and was selected Most Valuable Player in her senior year. Barbuto was a five-year letter winner at Corcoran High School in Syracuse, N.Y. She was a member of the National Honor Society, and was selected to First Team All-League, County, and State. She was named team MVP in her junior and senior campaigns, and was a five-time scholar athlete, a Who's Who among American High School Students selection, and tabbed as a United States Achievement Academy All-American Scholar.