Poulakis Named America East Offensive Player of the Year

11/3/2025 4:06:00 PM | Field Hockey

Wildcats Receive Nine Conference Awards

BOSTON – Senior captain Nicole Poulakis (Ajax, Ontario) of the University of New Hampshire field hockey team was named the America East Offensive Player of the Year to highlight a total of nine conference awards received by the Wildcats on Monday.

Poulakis was joined on the America East All-Conference First Team by senior captain Tasmin Cookman (London, England) and junior captain Kathelijne Knuttel (Groningen, Netherlands).

Sophomore Faye Meijer (Purmerend, Netherlands) was selected to the Second Team while freshmen Marlijn Swaan (Hilversum, Netherlands) and Becky Ward (Palmerston North, New Zealand) were named to the All-Rookie Team.

Poulakis and Knuttel were both voted to the All-Academic Team.

This is the third consecutive year a Wildcat has been named Offensive Player of the Year. Cookman was the honoree in 2023 and 2024.

New Hampshire (10-6, 4-1 AE), which won a share of the America East regular-season crown, begins postseason play Nov. 4 with a semifinal against UAlbany; game time is 2pm at UNH's Memorial Field. The winner advances to the Nov. 7 championship game.

Poulakis, a three-time selection to both the First Team and All-Academic Team, received each of the last three America East Offensive Player of the Week awards and four overall in 2025.

The midfielder enters the week No. 3 in the nation in goals per game (1.25) and No. 4 in points per game (3.00). Poulakis is the conference leader in both stats and is tied for fifth in assists per game. Her 20 goals rank sixth on UNH's list of single-season superlative and her 48 points is fifth.

Poulakis carries a seven-game goal streak and 13-game point streak into the postseason. It is the longest goal streak by a Wildcat since 2011, when Hayley Rauch scored a goal in eight consecutive games. It is also the longest point streak by a 'Cat since that 2011 season when Rauch had a 14-game streak.

Poulakis has recorded a point in 13 of 16 games, has scored a goal in 11 games and has been credited with an assist in six games. The second-year captain has scored multiple goals in a game six times, including a stretch of three consecutive games Oct. 17-24, with a career high of four goals at UMass Lowell – the eight points that game also marked a personal best. Poulakis also recorded six points against both Northeastern University (two goals, two assists) and Boston U. (3g).

Cookman, a two-time Offensive Player of the Year, has been named All-Conference First Team all four years. In 16 games this season – all starts – she has four goals and eight assists for a total of 16 points. Cookman's season highlights include a career-high three assists at Providence College and a season-high two goals at Vermont. She tallied four points in that game and also had a four-point effort at UMass Lowell with a goal and two assists.

Knuttel, who was a Second Team selection in '24 and All-Rookie honoree in '23, enters the week ranked 14^th in the nation in points per game (2.31), 17^th in assists per game (0.69) and 21^st in goals per game (0.81). The forward is the America East leader in assists per game; she is second in both points per game and goals per game.

Knuttel had point streaks of six games and five games; she scored a goal in five consecutive games during the six-game point streak. Overall, she recorded a point in 13 of 16 games with a goal in 10 games and an assist in eight. Knuttel had three two-goal games and also had multiple assists in a game three times. In the regular-season finale, she recorded a season-high five point with two goals and an assist vs. Bryant University.

Knuttel has a team-high two defensive saves, both of which came in the 3-0 win at UAlbany.

Meijer, the 2024 Rookie of the Year and Second Team honoree, recorded seven goals and six assists for 20 points to rank third on the team in both goals and points, as well as fifth in assists. On the conference leaderboard, the midfielder ranked seventh in points per game (1.25).

Meijer matched her career high of two goals in the opener against nationally-ranked UConn. Those four points marked a season high. She tallied a goal and an assist for three points in three games – at Boston U., vs. Maine and at UMass Lowell. Her five-game point streak, which included an assist in four consecutive games, spanned Oct. 5-24. Overall, Meijer tallied a point in 9 of 16 games.

Swaan has started all 16 games in her first year with totals of four goals for eight points. She scored a goal in back-to-back games with a tally at Northeastern and two at Providence. The midfielder struck again with the game-winning goal vs. Bryant in the regular-season finale.

Ward has also started all 16 games in her rookie season and is one of the linchpins on defense, including the defensive penalty corner. She helped the Wildcats record four shutouts this season with three the past five games.