Poulakis Records Two Goals and Two Assists in 4-1 Win vs. Ball State

Sunday, September 3

Columbus, Ohio

11 AM

University of New Hampshire

(3-1)

Ball State

(0-4)

Ball State

New Hampshire

Nicole Poulakis_vs Quinnipiac-7798_field hockey

Poulakis Records Two Goals and Two Assists in 4-1 Win vs. Ball State

9/3/2023 1:40:00 PM | Field Hockey

Box Score

COLUMBUS, Ohio – Nicole Poulakis (Ajax Ontario) recorded two goals and two assists to lead the University of New Hampshire field hockey team to Sunday's 4-1 victory against Ball State University in the Buckeye Invitational at Buckeye Varsity Field.

Poulakis matched her personal bests in both assists and points. Sophomore captain Tasmin Cookman (Woking, England) and Kathelijne Knuttel (Groningen, Netherlands) scored UNH's other goals.

Jemma Woods (Frimley, England) made three saves and allowed one goal in 54:51 to earn the win. Mariana Birdthistle (Limerick, Ireland) played the final 5:09 and did not face a shot on goal.

Fleur Knopert scored Ball State's goal. Hannah Johnston stopped seven shots and Michaela Graney was credited with a defensive save.

UNH, which went 1-1 at the Buckeye Invitational, improved to 3-1 overall. BSU is 0-4.

COACH'S QUOTE
"What I'm most pleased with is these weather conditions were rough because it's very warm and humid, but we were able to get in a lot of players and maintain a high level of play," UNH head coach Robin Balducci said. "Getting all those players quality minutes bodes well for the rest of the season."

UP NEXT

New Hampshire returns to action Sept. 8 (4 p.m.) at Providence College.
UNH's next home game is the America East conference opener Sept. 15 (2 p.m.) vs. Stanford University.

FIRST QUARTER

New Hampshire recorded an 8-1 shot advantage in the opening 15 minutes.
Poulakis gave UNH a 1-0 lead at 3:40 when her initial shot was saved by Johnston but corralled the rebound and lifted the ball over the goalie into the cage.
The Wildcats earned a penalty corner in the eight minute. The shot by Tamera Cookman (Woking, England) was blocked and then Addison MacNeil (Brentwood, N.H.) sent a shot wide.
The 'Cats were awarded a penalty stroke at 11:51 and Poulakis converted to extend the lead to 2-0.

SECOND QUARTER

UNH had a 4-3 edge in shots in the scoreless second quarter.

THIRD QUARTER

The Wildcats outscored the Cardinals 2-1 in the third quarter despite their 5-3 shot advantage.
Tasmin Cookman pushed the lead to 3-0 when she hammered home a shot from close range 1:51 into the quarter.
Poulakis almost struck again at 33:55 when her shot beat Johnston, but Graney was in position to deny the goal.
Ball State trimmed the deficit to 3-1 at 38:30. Woods made the initial save on Christine Ditizio's shot, but Knopert scored off the rebound.
Poulakis' pass from the left side eluded Johnston and Knuttel's shot beat a Cardinals' defender to reestablish a three-goal lead, 4-1, at 43:46.

FOURTH QUARTER

Ball State tallied a 4-3 shot advantage in the scoreless final frame.

INSIDE THE NUMBERS

UNH finished with an 18-13 shot advantage that included 12-4 on goal.
Neither team generated many penalty corners as there were a total of three in the game. UNH had two of them.

UNH NOTEBOOK

Poulakis established her career best of six points Oct. 9, 2022 against Cal.
She set her mark of two assists vs. Dartmouth College on Oct. 2, 2022.
Poulakis is now tied for the team lead in assists this season with two; she also ranks second in both goals (three) and points (eight).
Tasmin Cookman leads UNH in both goals (four) and points (nine).
Knuttel is tied for third in both goals (two) and points (five).
Poulakis and Tasmin Cookman combined for 12 of the team's 18 shots, including 9 of 12 on goal.
UNH has scored four goals in 3 of 4 games this season.

SERIES NOTEBOOK

New Hampshire has a 1-1 lifetime record against Ball State.
The only previous meeting was in September 1994, when BSU won 1-0 in overtime (at West Chester).