BeachReads: The Return Of Brooklyn Antonucci
9/3/2025 9:14:00 AM | Women's Soccer
Brooklyn Antonucci’s return highlights several notable returns for the Beach this season as they look to contend for a Big West title.
LONG BEACH, Calif. – In the fall of 2023, freshman defender Brooklyn Antonucci immediately established herself as a key contributor for head coach Mauricio Ingrassia, helping lead Long Beach State to a 10-6-4 overall record and a 5-3-2 mark in Big West play.
Now back in the lineup, Antonucci has the Beach poised to contend for the top of the conference standings once again.
Antonucci, originally from Rancho Cucamonga, burst onto the scene in her freshman season, as she was one of two freshmen named to the first or second All-Conference teams.
"It's everything about her, in terms of her IQ, her ability to shut players down. She's got a very nice left foot. She can bend balls behind the opponents," Ingrassia said. "She's got a lot to her game."
She was named Big West Freshman of the Week and Big West Defensive Player of the Week on Sept. 4, 2023, and finished tied for second that season in the Big West with six assists.
"I think I was given a lot of opportunities. I think Mauricio had a lot of trust in me, and it was something that was more motivating than it was skill level," Antonucci said. "I was motivated to get on the field and showcase myself. I've always wanted people to know my last name. That's something my family's always brought into my life, and my parents have worked so hard to help me get here, as well as myself. So that was something that really mattered to me."
Just two days before LBSU's first fall exhibition match in 2024 against USC, Antonucci sustained a significant foot injury that sidelined her for the season and required her to take a medical redshirt.
"Personally, that was one of the hardest things I've ever gone through, in all honesty. I was really, really defeated. It was something that was really, really hard to come out of," Antonucci said.
Ingrassia told reporters after Antonucci went down last year, "That's someone you can't lose." The loss of Antonucci was one of several key setbacks during an injury-plagued 2024 campaign.
"It was more of a mental battle than it was physical, and the only way I was able to keep my head up was having my teammates supporting me, helping me with the little things. Whether it was opening a door, getting me into my car—whatever it was—and the coaching staff always making sure I was included," Antonucci said.
"I think she looked at the game from different perspectives, as it was taken from her. I think she probably grew in not taking things for granted as much, and having gratitude for everything we've gone through and we have," Ingrassia said.
Antonucci credits Ingrassia and his staff for keeping her heavily involved with the team, despite the injury.
"I definitely saw a lot of behind-the-scenes that I'd never normally seen. I was focused on, like, 'Oh, we're just at practice,' and then I realized, 'Well, no, there's a lot that goes into it—whether it's water, pods, goals—just all the little things I never really thought of. It really opened my eyes. On game days, I was like, wow, so much goes into this: film, taping, everything you could possibly think of. Honestly, it was one of the best things I've gone through," Antonucci said.
After a year of rehabbing the injury, Antonucci has made her return to the pitch, but not without mental shifts in her approach. Ingrassia also noted that he plans to gradually work her back into the Beach's plans as she returns from the injury.
"She hasn't played competitively for quite some time, so we're being patient with her on the return to flight," Ingrassia said.
Now, a handful of matches into the season, Antonucci touched on her new perspective on the game and some of the mental adjustments she's faced.
"So coming back on the field, it's definitely a scare for me at times because the way my injury happened was kind of just outlandish. It was just a wild thing that happens daily, just walking," Antonucci said. "So of course, I always think, okay, well, will this tackle hurt me?
So I hesitate, but then a lot of times, my thing is faith over fear."
In the early portion of the season, Antonucci has already logged 400 minutes while providing Long Beach State a steady presence defensively.
"I just have high expectations for myself. I mean, I sat out for a year, so now this is my comeback year. I want to get my name back out there because, you know, when you get injured, it's like, 'Okay, whatever, she's gone.' But I want it to be, 'No, she's back, she's doing well,'" Antonucci said.
