University of New Hampshire Athletics
Poulakis Named ECAC Offensive Player of the Year
12/12/2025 12:27:00 PM | Field Hockey
DANBURY, Conn. — Senior captain Nicole Poulakis (Ajax, Ontario) of the University of New Hampshire field hockey team was named the ECAC Division I Field Hockey Offensive Player of the Year on Friday. She is joined on the Division I All-ECAC First Team by junior captain Kathelijne Knuttel (Groningen, Netherlands) and senior captain Tasmin Cookman (London, England) was voted to the Second Team.
Poulakis is the second UNH player to be honored as the ECAC Field Hockey Offensive Player of the Year; Whitney Frates was the first recipient in 2011.
UNH tied for the highest number of players on the First Team and the total of three Wildcats also tied for the highest number of honorees. New Hampshire is the only America East school with a First Team selection.
Poulakis ranked third in the nation in goals per game (1.21) and fourth in points per game (2.84). She was the America East conference leader in both of those stats and game-winning goals (five), and she ranked eighth in assists per game (0.42).
Poulakis recorded one of the top single-season efforts in UNH program history with 23 goals and eight assists for 54 points in 19 games (all starts). On UNH's list of single-season superlatives, she is #3 in goals and #5 in points. The 23 points and 54 points are both the highest total by a Wildcat since 2011, and Poulakis is the first Wildcat to lead the conference in goals or points since that '11 season. On the conference single-season leaderboard, she is 10th in goals.
Poulakis took a nine-game goal streak and 15-game point streak into the NCAA first round; both streaks were the longest by a 'Cat since (at least) 2009. In the 2025 season alone, Poulakis scored multiple goals in a game seven times, including a career-high four – the eight points that game also marked a personal best. She also led UNH with five game-winning goals.
Poulakis' other 2025 season accolades include NFHCA Northeast Region First Team, NFHCA Senior Team, America East Offensive Player of the Year, All-Conference First Team, All-Academic Team, All-Championship Team and four-time Offensive Player of the Week. Poulakis was named the Most Outstanding Player of the conference tourney as she scored the game-winning goal in both the semifinal and final with a total of three goals in two games.
Poulakis was an All-ECAC Second Team selection in 2023.
Knuttel ranked No. 18 in the nation in points per game (2.11), as well as 19th in both assists per game (0.63) and defensive saves (three). She led America East in assists per game – the first Wildcat to do that since 2010 – and ranked second in points per game, game-winning goals (four) and defensive saves, as well as third in goals per game (0.74).
The forward led UNH in assists (12) and defensive saves while ranking second in goals (14), points (40) and game-winning goals. The 12 assists were the most by a Wildcat since 2016.
Knuttel recorded a point in 14 of 19 games, scored a goal in 11 games and tallied an assist in nine games. She had three multiple-goal games and three multiple-assist games, as well as both six-game and five-game point streaks.
Knuttel's other accolades this year include NFHCA Northeast Region Second Team, America East All-Conference First Team, All-Academic Team and All-Championship Team.
Cookman recorded four goals and 11 points for 19 points in 19 games – all starts – to rank third on the team in assists and fourth in points; with those numbers, she ranked third in America East in assists. She tallied an assist in the NCAA first round game at No. 3 Harvard to end her UNH career with an assist in four consecutive games and point in five straight.
Cookman's other season highlights included a career-high three-assist effort at Providence College.
Cookman has earned Northeast Region First Team recognition all four years. Her other 2025 postseason awards include NFHCA Senior Team, America East All-Conference First Team and America East All-Championship Team.
The is the fourth consecutive year Cookman receives an ECAC accolade. She was named All-ECAC First team in 2023 and 2024 and Rookie of the Year in 2022.
The UNH field hockey team earned a share of the 2025 regular-season America East title, the tournament championship and an NCAA tourney berth – all firsts for the Wildcats since 2013.
The ECAC (Eastern College Athletic Conference) is an 85-year old organization with well over 200 member schools across all three NCAA Divisions - I, II and III. The ECAC exists to enhance the experience of student-athletes participating in intercollegiate athletics and provides great value for universities and colleges by sponsoring championships, leagues, bowl games, tournaments and other competitions throughout the Northeast.
Poulakis is the second UNH player to be honored as the ECAC Field Hockey Offensive Player of the Year; Whitney Frates was the first recipient in 2011.
UNH tied for the highest number of players on the First Team and the total of three Wildcats also tied for the highest number of honorees. New Hampshire is the only America East school with a First Team selection.
Poulakis ranked third in the nation in goals per game (1.21) and fourth in points per game (2.84). She was the America East conference leader in both of those stats and game-winning goals (five), and she ranked eighth in assists per game (0.42).
Poulakis recorded one of the top single-season efforts in UNH program history with 23 goals and eight assists for 54 points in 19 games (all starts). On UNH's list of single-season superlatives, she is #3 in goals and #5 in points. The 23 points and 54 points are both the highest total by a Wildcat since 2011, and Poulakis is the first Wildcat to lead the conference in goals or points since that '11 season. On the conference single-season leaderboard, she is 10th in goals.
Poulakis took a nine-game goal streak and 15-game point streak into the NCAA first round; both streaks were the longest by a 'Cat since (at least) 2009. In the 2025 season alone, Poulakis scored multiple goals in a game seven times, including a career-high four – the eight points that game also marked a personal best. She also led UNH with five game-winning goals.
Poulakis' other 2025 season accolades include NFHCA Northeast Region First Team, NFHCA Senior Team, America East Offensive Player of the Year, All-Conference First Team, All-Academic Team, All-Championship Team and four-time Offensive Player of the Week. Poulakis was named the Most Outstanding Player of the conference tourney as she scored the game-winning goal in both the semifinal and final with a total of three goals in two games.
Poulakis was an All-ECAC Second Team selection in 2023.
Knuttel ranked No. 18 in the nation in points per game (2.11), as well as 19th in both assists per game (0.63) and defensive saves (three). She led America East in assists per game – the first Wildcat to do that since 2010 – and ranked second in points per game, game-winning goals (four) and defensive saves, as well as third in goals per game (0.74).
The forward led UNH in assists (12) and defensive saves while ranking second in goals (14), points (40) and game-winning goals. The 12 assists were the most by a Wildcat since 2016.
Knuttel recorded a point in 14 of 19 games, scored a goal in 11 games and tallied an assist in nine games. She had three multiple-goal games and three multiple-assist games, as well as both six-game and five-game point streaks.
Knuttel's other accolades this year include NFHCA Northeast Region Second Team, America East All-Conference First Team, All-Academic Team and All-Championship Team.
Cookman recorded four goals and 11 points for 19 points in 19 games – all starts – to rank third on the team in assists and fourth in points; with those numbers, she ranked third in America East in assists. She tallied an assist in the NCAA first round game at No. 3 Harvard to end her UNH career with an assist in four consecutive games and point in five straight.
Cookman's other season highlights included a career-high three-assist effort at Providence College.
Cookman has earned Northeast Region First Team recognition all four years. Her other 2025 postseason awards include NFHCA Senior Team, America East All-Conference First Team and America East All-Championship Team.
The is the fourth consecutive year Cookman receives an ECAC accolade. She was named All-ECAC First team in 2023 and 2024 and Rookie of the Year in 2022.
The UNH field hockey team earned a share of the 2025 regular-season America East title, the tournament championship and an NCAA tourney berth – all firsts for the Wildcats since 2013.
The ECAC (Eastern College Athletic Conference) is an 85-year old organization with well over 200 member schools across all three NCAA Divisions - I, II and III. The ECAC exists to enhance the experience of student-athletes participating in intercollegiate athletics and provides great value for universities and colleges by sponsoring championships, leagues, bowl games, tournaments and other competitions throughout the Northeast.
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