University of New Hampshire Athletics
Photo by: Rick Wilson
Francesca Picicci Is Named an NCAA Woman of the Year Nominee
7/12/2022 3:35:00 PM | General, Women's Soccer
INDIANAPOLIS -- Francesca Picicci (North Massapequa, N.Y.) of the University of New Hampshire women's soccer team has been nominated for the 2022 NCAA Woman of the Year award. The announcement was made Tuesday by the NCAA national office.
"Cheech has been a true ambassador to our UNH women's soccer program, UNH as a whole and to the greater community", UNH women's soccer head coach Steve Welham said. "We are so proud of not only her accomplishments but how she went about it. Francesca is a true Wildcat through and through."
The NCAA Woman of the Year program was established in 1991 and honors the academic achievements, athletics excellence, community service and leadership of graduating female college athletes from all three divisions. To be eligible, a nominee must have competed and earned a varsity letter in an NCAA-sponsored sport and must have earned her undergraduate degree by summer 2022.
UNH swimmer Anna Metzler (Regensberg, Germany) is also a nominee for the 2022 NCAA Woman of the Year award.
Picicci was honored as the female recipient of both the Jim Urquhart Student-Athlete of the Year and the Tina True Award at the UNH athletic department's fourth annual Senior Showcase this past May.
She was then lauded as a 2022 America East Presidential Scholar-Athlete for completing her undergraduate degree with a cumulative grade-point average of 3.75 or higher. Most recently, she was named one of three finalists for the America East Woman of the Year from a pool of 10 nominees.
In five years with the women's soccer program, Picicci was a team leader – two-time captain – who received numerous accolades in recognition of her athletic and academic excellence. She was a two-time America East All-Academic Team selection and three-time America East Commissioner's Honor Roll member who was named to the United Soccer Coaches Scholar East Region Second Team and inducted into Chi Alpha Sigma, the National College Athlete Honor Society.
Picicci was also named to the America East All-Conference First Team and Second Team and All-Rookie Team, and was selected to the NEWISA Senior Bowl.
As a senior in the 2021 season, Picicci led UNH in goals (six), game-winning goals (three), points (13) and shooting percentage (.214). On the conference leaderboard, she tied for fourth in both goals and game-winning goals, and also ranked ninth in points.
Picicci fueled UNH's late-season surge as the Wildcats went 4-1-0 in the last five regular-season games to set the stage for a run to the conference championship game. She recorded a career-high five points with two goals and an assist at Stony Brook University and followed that with two more goals vs. UMBC. Picicci continued that strong play into the postseason and was named to the America East All-Championship Team following the conclusion of the tournament.
The truncated Spring 2021 season was the catalyst to her outstanding 2021 season. In the Spring 2021, Picicci was atop UNH's points leaderboard by tying for the team lead in both goals and assists. She ranked fourth in the conference in points per game as well as tied for third in assists and tied for fourth in goals.
As a freshman in the 2017 season, Picicci ranked fourth on the team in both goals and points and scored the game-winning goal against both Army West Point and UAlbany; she played all 18 matches with 11 starts. Picicci had seven starts in 13 matches as a sophomore before that 2018 season ended prematurely for her with an injury. She returned to see action in all 18 games as a junior in 2019.
Picicci has a 3.76 cumulative grade-point average in pursuit of a degree in Kinesiology: Exercise Science. She is a recipient of UNH's Robert Kertzer Scholarship, which is awarded to an exercise science student whose commitment to excellence is demonstrated in and out of the classroom and lab.
Picicci was a four-year member of UNH's Student-Athlete Advisory Committee. Her other extracurricular activities included: member of the Pre-Physician Assistant Student Organization; Convenient MD COVID-19 tester at UNH; President of Association of Exercise Science Students; volunteer on the medical and surgical floor at Portsmouth Regional Hospital; and emergency room volunteer at St. Joseph's Hospital (Bethpage, N.Y.).
For 32 years, the NCAA Woman of the Year award has honored the academic achievements, athletic excellence, community service and leadership of outstanding female college athletes. Rooted in Title IX and directed by the NCAA Committee on Women's Athletics, this program celebrates the accomplishments of female college athletes across all three NCAA divisions.
With 2022 marking the 50th anniversary of Title IX, this year's NCAA Woman of the Year award provides an important opportunity to honor incredible women and reflect on the impact of women on intercollegiate sports. This year, nearly 220,000 women are competing in college sports and the NCAA received 577 nominations for this prestigious award.
The top 30 honorees – 10 per division – will be announced in October and the finalists – three per division – are announced in November. The 2022 NCAA Woman of the Year will be announced at the 2023 NCAA Convention in January.
You can learn more about the award program, including previous winners, by visiting ncaa.org/woty.
"Cheech has been a true ambassador to our UNH women's soccer program, UNH as a whole and to the greater community", UNH women's soccer head coach Steve Welham said. "We are so proud of not only her accomplishments but how she went about it. Francesca is a true Wildcat through and through."
The NCAA Woman of the Year program was established in 1991 and honors the academic achievements, athletics excellence, community service and leadership of graduating female college athletes from all three divisions. To be eligible, a nominee must have competed and earned a varsity letter in an NCAA-sponsored sport and must have earned her undergraduate degree by summer 2022.
UNH swimmer Anna Metzler (Regensberg, Germany) is also a nominee for the 2022 NCAA Woman of the Year award.
Picicci was honored as the female recipient of both the Jim Urquhart Student-Athlete of the Year and the Tina True Award at the UNH athletic department's fourth annual Senior Showcase this past May.
She was then lauded as a 2022 America East Presidential Scholar-Athlete for completing her undergraduate degree with a cumulative grade-point average of 3.75 or higher. Most recently, she was named one of three finalists for the America East Woman of the Year from a pool of 10 nominees.
In five years with the women's soccer program, Picicci was a team leader – two-time captain – who received numerous accolades in recognition of her athletic and academic excellence. She was a two-time America East All-Academic Team selection and three-time America East Commissioner's Honor Roll member who was named to the United Soccer Coaches Scholar East Region Second Team and inducted into Chi Alpha Sigma, the National College Athlete Honor Society.
Picicci was also named to the America East All-Conference First Team and Second Team and All-Rookie Team, and was selected to the NEWISA Senior Bowl.
As a senior in the 2021 season, Picicci led UNH in goals (six), game-winning goals (three), points (13) and shooting percentage (.214). On the conference leaderboard, she tied for fourth in both goals and game-winning goals, and also ranked ninth in points.
Picicci fueled UNH's late-season surge as the Wildcats went 4-1-0 in the last five regular-season games to set the stage for a run to the conference championship game. She recorded a career-high five points with two goals and an assist at Stony Brook University and followed that with two more goals vs. UMBC. Picicci continued that strong play into the postseason and was named to the America East All-Championship Team following the conclusion of the tournament.
The truncated Spring 2021 season was the catalyst to her outstanding 2021 season. In the Spring 2021, Picicci was atop UNH's points leaderboard by tying for the team lead in both goals and assists. She ranked fourth in the conference in points per game as well as tied for third in assists and tied for fourth in goals.
As a freshman in the 2017 season, Picicci ranked fourth on the team in both goals and points and scored the game-winning goal against both Army West Point and UAlbany; she played all 18 matches with 11 starts. Picicci had seven starts in 13 matches as a sophomore before that 2018 season ended prematurely for her with an injury. She returned to see action in all 18 games as a junior in 2019.
Picicci has a 3.76 cumulative grade-point average in pursuit of a degree in Kinesiology: Exercise Science. She is a recipient of UNH's Robert Kertzer Scholarship, which is awarded to an exercise science student whose commitment to excellence is demonstrated in and out of the classroom and lab.
Picicci was a four-year member of UNH's Student-Athlete Advisory Committee. Her other extracurricular activities included: member of the Pre-Physician Assistant Student Organization; Convenient MD COVID-19 tester at UNH; President of Association of Exercise Science Students; volunteer on the medical and surgical floor at Portsmouth Regional Hospital; and emergency room volunteer at St. Joseph's Hospital (Bethpage, N.Y.).
For 32 years, the NCAA Woman of the Year award has honored the academic achievements, athletic excellence, community service and leadership of outstanding female college athletes. Rooted in Title IX and directed by the NCAA Committee on Women's Athletics, this program celebrates the accomplishments of female college athletes across all three NCAA divisions.
With 2022 marking the 50th anniversary of Title IX, this year's NCAA Woman of the Year award provides an important opportunity to honor incredible women and reflect on the impact of women on intercollegiate sports. This year, nearly 220,000 women are competing in college sports and the NCAA received 577 nominations for this prestigious award.
The top 30 honorees – 10 per division – will be announced in October and the finalists – three per division – are announced in November. The 2022 NCAA Woman of the Year will be announced at the 2023 NCAA Convention in January.
You can learn more about the award program, including previous winners, by visiting ncaa.org/woty.
Players Mentioned
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