For the past two seasons, Franco Fasoli has made his mark on the pitch for the Bear Men’s Soccer program. Now he will get the opportunity to continue his athletics and academics at a four-year institution after recently signing with Southern Oregon University.

“It is a mix of feelings,” a bittersweet Fasoli said. “Some people you know, you are not going to see them again but they are going to be a part of your life, for good. (But) I’m anxious, I want to be a part of the team.”

Fasoli, who in addition to standing out on the field for the Bears, leading the team in scoring last season with five goals and 15 total points, also shined in the classroom as well. A 4.0 student, Fasoli earned multiple academic accolades including being named an Academic All-American and being a member of Phi Theta Kappa International Honor Society. For his efforts on the field, he earned All-Conference Honorable Mention following the 2022 season.

A native of Rosario, Argentina, Fasoli recently expressed how grateful he was for his time at Southwest and how it helped shape him into the person he is now.

“There are too many people to thank and be grateful for,” he said. “The big family of Southwest, not just the players, not just my friends, not just the coaches. Being an international here, these people made it so much easier for us. (Also) the families of some of our players made a big impact. God’s timing is perfect. I don’t think that I could have gone to Southern Oregon straight from Argentina. I didn’t grow as a player here as much as a person. I am not the same guy that I was when I came here, in a positive way.”

Fasoli said that there were multiple aspects that drew him to sign with the Raiders, but perhaps none bigger than the academics.

“My major is Economics and there aren’t many schools in the U.S. that have that major,” he said. “So I was needing to find a fit that allowed me to play soccer while studying my desired major. When the name popped up, I know (Coach) Zach’s experience with the area and he said that it was a really good school for soccer. They go to National’s almost every year.”

Prior to returning to coach at Southwest, Head Coach Zach Mills coached at Eastern Oregon University, a program that is in the same conference as Southern Oregon.

Fasoli chose Southern Oregon over offers from schools in Arizona, Iowa, Oklahoma and South Carolina.

He also has a message for any international students who may be considering coming to Southwest to play and study, adding that SMCC will help shape them if they put in the work.

“If you really want to grow as a person, as a player and put your butt to work, you will go somewhere good,” he said.

Coach Mills said that he was very proud of the student athlete that Fasoli has become.

“It is cool to see his growth because he is a very good player,” he said. “As a person, he grew more and I think that will help him as a player and he knows that. I think that he will transition well in that conference and win in that conference. They are a very, very good team with a very good coach. I’m excited to see Franco do some big things up in Oregon.”