PSAC Release | All-PSAC Teams
 
KUTZTOWN, Pa. – Senior Sam Costello (Westfield, N.J./Westfield) became the first Golden Bear in Kutztown University women's soccer history to be named the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) Athlete of the Year, as voted on by the PSAC coaches and released by the conference office Wednesday afternoon.
 
Costello was one of three Golden Bears to be named to the All-PSAC First Team. She was joined on the first team by juniors Diana Malanga (Lavallette, N.J./St. Rose), a fellow three-time All-PSAC player, and Sam Busillo (Lincoln University, Pa./Avon Grove), who celebrates her first all-conference recognition with first team honors.
 
Costello has been quoted by KU head coach Erik Burstein as one of the best players to ever suit up in the Maroon and Gold. She saved her best season for last in 2014 with a career-high 10 goals, including four-game winners.
 
Costello battled injuries through the early parts of her senior campaign, but has persevered by competing hard game-in and game-out, despite being double-covered for the majority of her playing time. Her physical presence on the field has given her an advantage over nearly every defender in her way, as the two-time team captain has used her toughness to truly lead by example.
 
After starting the year off without a point in the first six games, Costello has tallied at least one point in nine of her last 12 games. Costello leads the team with a career-high 10 goals and 24 points, and is tied for the team-lead with four assists. She recently took sole possession of fifth place in school history with 24 career goals and her 68 career points tie her for fourth in KU history. This season, she leads the PSAC in points per game (1.60) and goals per game (.667).
 
Malanga is now a three-time All-PSAC midfielder after earning her initial First Team honor. Along with Costello, she is one of five players in program history to be named a three-time all-conference performer, and will have a chance next year in her senior season to join two former Golden Bears as four-time honorees.
 
Offensively, the junior has scored seven goals this season, including a hat-trick on the road at Bloomsburg that earned her the PSAC Athlete of the Week on Oct. 6, with three assists for 17 points. She has started each of her 16 games played this season, as well as 53 of her 55 career games. Malanga enjoyed her first all-region accolade last season, and certainly backed that up with another tremendous year for a Golden Bear team that won a school-record nine consecutive games earlier this year.
 
Busillo has been one of the most valuable players on the KU defense this season to earn her her first career All-PSAC award. She entered the year as one of the few upperclassmen to return on defense, but has taken on a leadership role as an outside defender and occasional midfielder when needed.
 
The junior defender has led her unit to nine shutouts during the regular season, including a four-game stretch where the Golden Bears outscored their opponents, 10-0. That stretch pushed Kutztown into the national rankings for the past three weeks.
 
Following their 2-0 PSAC quarterfinal win on Tuesday, the Golden Bears (14-4) advance to the semifinals on Friday, Nov. 7 and will play West Chester University at 3:30 p.m. at East Stroudsburg University. The winner will move onto the championship game on Saturday, Nov. 8 at 5 p.m. against the winner of ESU and California (PA) (1 p.m. on Friday).