Congratulations to Ali Hartman, one of our NC Fusion Ambassadors, on her  National Collegiate Equestrian Association distinguished alumni award!  

This summer the United States sent six match officials to the 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup in Australia and New Zealand. The delegation consisted of two referees, three assistant referees, and one video assistant referee. 

FIFA Referee - Katja Koroleva

FIFA Referee - Tori Penso

FIFA Assistant Referee - Felisha Mariscal

FIFA Assistant Referee - Brooke Mayo

FIFA Assistant Referee - Kathryn Nesbitt

FIFA Video Assistant Referee - Armando Villarreal

The second name on the list has deep ties to the NC Fusion Family. Serving as a mentor and coach for young officials, Tori Penso knows her way around the NC Fusion facilities. Giving back to the game is a passion that Penso holds dear when it comes to referee development. While she has been spotted on the NC Fusion pitch coaching grassroots officials, she also has served as a mentor on the regional level through the US Youth Soccer Southern Region Championships. Penso is currently an active Major League Soccer referee.

Penso’s soccer resume is one that is long and most inclusive. Tori currently is a NISOA and USSF National Referee. Her NCAA list of accomplishments are many which include NCAA Division I and Division III Women’s National Championships, ACC, SEC, Big Ten, Big South, MAC, and SoCon Tournament Semis and Finals. Penso moved up to professional matches in the NWSL and the USL and in 2020 became the first women in 20 years to referee an MLS match. In the last three years, Penso has worked the following high-profile competitions:

Referee at a Men’s FIFA World Cup Qualifying match in 2021

Referee the NWSL Championship in 2021

Referee at the Conacaf U-20 Championship in 2022

And the list goes on!!!

During the 2019 Women's World Cup, Penso was watching matches shortly after giving birth to her third child trying to balance officiating working in an advertising agency.

Tori currently serves as the National Intercollegiate Soccer Officials Association’s Managing Director.

FIFA Women Cup 2023 Assignments as the referee as of today’s date:

Match 15: July 24, 2023, Germany vs Morocco

Match 33: July 30, 2023, New Zealand vs Switzerland 

Match 55: August 8, France vs Morocco

Match 62, Semi Final: August 16, 2023, Australia vs England

Match 64, FINAL: August 20, 2023, Spain vs England

The TODAY Show recently highlighted a senior women's soccer team competing in the US Adult Soccer tournament hosted at Bryan Park.  

Sports teams are an important part of growing up, and Title IX allows girls to play any sport all the way through college. But there's a generation who didn’t have the same opportunities. NBC’s Stephanie Gosk talks with senior soccer team “Still Kickin” to see how they come together to make up for lost time.

(Peep the NC Fusion logo in the video!)