Team Maryland forward Justin Gusso has committed to NCAA Division III Gustavus Adolphus College for the fall of 2021.

The 2000-born native of Phoenix recently finished his third and final season of junior hockey, capping things off by securing a commitment that will take him to the Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (MIAC) this fall.

Gusso’s junior hockey career began with the the WSHL’s Phoenix Knights in 2017-18 and he later went to the Eastern Hockey League’s Philadelphia Revolution and spent the 2018-19 and 2019-20 seasons in Warwick, Pa. From Pennsylvania, Gusso moved up to Maine and began this past season with the Eclipse. From there, he ended up heading back south to Maryland in mid-November, a move that ultimately led to this moment.

“Justin is an outstanding young man that has a huge heart for the game, puts in the work both on and off the ice, and is determined to get better every day,” said Maryland coach-GM Josh Fusco. “You can’t teach passion and that’s his strongest attribute. Justin worked hard for this moment and I couldn’t be any happier for him. We wish him all the best.”

Looking back at Gusso’s numbers throughout his three seasons of junior hockey, and the talented playmaker is a true product of the league’s ladder of development. Gusso worked his way up by producing 47 points in 46 career games in the Eastern Hockey League Premier (EHLP), followed up by 27 points in 73 total games in the Eastern Hockey League (EHL). Gusso’s best production came after he arrived in Maryland, when he tallied 26 points in 28 EHL games for Fusco.

Gusso, a Jr. Coyotes and Arizona Hockey Union alum, is very appreciative to Fusco for bringing him in, along with everyone else that helped him reach this moment in his career.

“My commitment to an education and an opportunity to play for Gustavus Adolphus could not have come without a tremendous amount of help,” said Gusso. “Thanks to all my amazing teammates and brothers throughout my junior career, so many special bonds will remain with me for a lifetime. Thank you to my family throughout the states and my loved ones back in Arizona for all the care, support, and guidance to allow me to reach my current goals and keep setting new ones. My coaches throughout the years deserve the most credit. Thank you to Colten St. Clair, Jon Rogger, Chris Kanaly, and Micheal Grace, and my trainers back in Arizona, Holly Harrington and Kurt Goar, for shaping me into the man heading to Gustavus. I owe a huge thanks to Team Maryland and head coach Josh Fusco for giving me the tools and mindset to achieve this.

“Lastly, thanks to the EHL for putting on a COVID season, and sending me to school. I am very excited to morph my hockey career into a student-athlete variation.”

Photo/Team Maryland

(May 19, 2021)