University of New Hampshire Athletics
Poulakis Nominated for America East Woman of the Year Award
5/14/2026 5:20:00 PM | Field Hockey, General
BOSTON – Nicole Poulakis (Ajax, Ontario), a senior captain of the 2025 University of New Hampshire field hockey team, has been nominated for the 2025-26 America East Woman of the Year award. The announcement was made Thursday afternoon by the conference.
From the pool of nine candidates, three finalists will be announced May 26 and the recipient will be named June 2 at the conference's annual awards dinner.
Poulakis received UNH's 2026 Jim Urquhart Outstanding Female Student-Athlete Award earlier this month. The accolade recognizes athletic success, community involvement and academic achievement through their Wildcat careers.
Poulakis earned a plethora of academic and athletic awards in her four years as a UNH Wildcat. The two-time captain capped her exemplary career with a standout senior season in 2025, when she ranked #3 nationally in goals per game (1.21) and #4 in points per game (2.84) to garner NFHCA All-All-America Second Team accolades.
Poulakis was named the 2025 Offensive Player of the Year by both America East and ECAC, garnered All-Conference and All-ECAC First Team recognition, and she was named the America East Field Hockey Scholar-Athlete of the Year.
As a senior, Poulakis was the team and conference leader in goals per game, points per game and game-winning goals (five) – she was the first 'Cat to lead America East in either goals or points since 2011. She also ranked eighth in the conference in assists per game (0.42).
Her season totals included 23 goals and eight assists for 54 points. The 23 goals rank third on UNH's list of single-season superlatives and 10th in America East history, and the 54 points is No. 5 on the UNH leaderboard. Both the 23 goals and 54 points are the highest totals by a UNH Wildcat since 2011.
Poulakis led New Hampshire to the 2025 America East title – and NCAA tourney – by scoring the game-winning goal in both the semifinal and championship games. She scored a total of three goals in the conference tourney with two in the semis and the championship game's only goal in double overtime to earn America East Tournament Most Outstanding Player and All-Tournament Team.
Poulakis, a four-time America East Offensive Player of the Week in 2025, had a nine-game goal-scoring streak within her point streak of 15 games. She scored multiple goals seven times, including a career-high four goals and eight points at UMass Lowell.
Following the conclusion of the season, she was also named to the NFHCA Senior Team.
Poulakis finished her Wildcats career with 60 goals and 29 assists for 149 points to rank second in UNH history in both goals and points, as well as fifth in assists. As a sophomore in 2023, she ranked #12 nationally in points/game, #13 in assists/game and #18 goals/game. Poulakis was 25th in the nation in points per game as a rookie.
Poulakis was voted to the NFHCA Northeast Region First Team this past year after being selected to the Second Team in both 2023 and 2024. She was named to the America East All-Conference First Team three consecutive years after garnering Second Team and All-Rookie Team honors in 2022.
Poulakis' list of academic awards is equally impressive. She is a two-time NFHCA Scholar of Distinction and been named to the NFHCA National Academic Squad all four years. Poulakis earned America East All-Academic Team recognition all three years and was selected to the CSC Academic All-District Women's At-Large Team in 2024 and 2025 (the 2026 team has not been named yet).
She has a 3.90 cumulative GPA in pursuit of a sport management & leadership degree and completed a senior internship in the Wildcat Internship Program with the marketing track.
In her time at UNH, Poulakis has been involved as a youth counselor and coach at camps. She has also coached youth field hockey with the Dolphins Field Hockey Club and been a volunteer community coach. Poulakis has also worked as a banquet volunteer on the planning and event staff with Field Hockey Ontario Nationals.
The nominees represent all nine member institutions. Student-athletes were nominated by their own institution for the honor, which recognizes the conference's senior or graduate student female student-athletes who have best distinguished themselves throughout their collegiate career in the areas of academic achievement, athletic excellence, service and leadership.
To be nominated, student-athletes must have competed in an America East sponsored sport and completed intercollegiate eligibility in their primary sport by the end of the 2026 spring season or received their undergraduate degree prior to the conclusion of the summer 2026 term and have a minimum cumulative grade-point average of 2.500 (4.000 scale). Institutions are permitted to submit up to two nominees for each award if at least one is an international or ethnic minority student-athlete.
America East began honoring a Woman of the Year in 2006 and introduced the Man of the Year award in 2015.
UNH men's track & field athlete Yoofi Abaka-Amuah (Worcester, Mass.) is the Wildcats' nominee for 2025-26 America East Man of the Year. CLICK HERE to read the Yoofi Abaka-Amuah press release.
From the pool of nine candidates, three finalists will be announced May 26 and the recipient will be named June 2 at the conference's annual awards dinner.
Poulakis received UNH's 2026 Jim Urquhart Outstanding Female Student-Athlete Award earlier this month. The accolade recognizes athletic success, community involvement and academic achievement through their Wildcat careers.
Poulakis earned a plethora of academic and athletic awards in her four years as a UNH Wildcat. The two-time captain capped her exemplary career with a standout senior season in 2025, when she ranked #3 nationally in goals per game (1.21) and #4 in points per game (2.84) to garner NFHCA All-All-America Second Team accolades.
Poulakis was named the 2025 Offensive Player of the Year by both America East and ECAC, garnered All-Conference and All-ECAC First Team recognition, and she was named the America East Field Hockey Scholar-Athlete of the Year.
As a senior, Poulakis was the team and conference leader in goals per game, points per game and game-winning goals (five) – she was the first 'Cat to lead America East in either goals or points since 2011. She also ranked eighth in the conference in assists per game (0.42).
Her season totals included 23 goals and eight assists for 54 points. The 23 goals rank third on UNH's list of single-season superlatives and 10th in America East history, and the 54 points is No. 5 on the UNH leaderboard. Both the 23 goals and 54 points are the highest totals by a UNH Wildcat since 2011.
Poulakis led New Hampshire to the 2025 America East title – and NCAA tourney – by scoring the game-winning goal in both the semifinal and championship games. She scored a total of three goals in the conference tourney with two in the semis and the championship game's only goal in double overtime to earn America East Tournament Most Outstanding Player and All-Tournament Team.
Poulakis, a four-time America East Offensive Player of the Week in 2025, had a nine-game goal-scoring streak within her point streak of 15 games. She scored multiple goals seven times, including a career-high four goals and eight points at UMass Lowell.
Following the conclusion of the season, she was also named to the NFHCA Senior Team.
Poulakis finished her Wildcats career with 60 goals and 29 assists for 149 points to rank second in UNH history in both goals and points, as well as fifth in assists. As a sophomore in 2023, she ranked #12 nationally in points/game, #13 in assists/game and #18 goals/game. Poulakis was 25th in the nation in points per game as a rookie.
Poulakis was voted to the NFHCA Northeast Region First Team this past year after being selected to the Second Team in both 2023 and 2024. She was named to the America East All-Conference First Team three consecutive years after garnering Second Team and All-Rookie Team honors in 2022.
Poulakis' list of academic awards is equally impressive. She is a two-time NFHCA Scholar of Distinction and been named to the NFHCA National Academic Squad all four years. Poulakis earned America East All-Academic Team recognition all three years and was selected to the CSC Academic All-District Women's At-Large Team in 2024 and 2025 (the 2026 team has not been named yet).
She has a 3.90 cumulative GPA in pursuit of a sport management & leadership degree and completed a senior internship in the Wildcat Internship Program with the marketing track.
In her time at UNH, Poulakis has been involved as a youth counselor and coach at camps. She has also coached youth field hockey with the Dolphins Field Hockey Club and been a volunteer community coach. Poulakis has also worked as a banquet volunteer on the planning and event staff with Field Hockey Ontario Nationals.
The nominees represent all nine member institutions. Student-athletes were nominated by their own institution for the honor, which recognizes the conference's senior or graduate student female student-athletes who have best distinguished themselves throughout their collegiate career in the areas of academic achievement, athletic excellence, service and leadership.
To be nominated, student-athletes must have competed in an America East sponsored sport and completed intercollegiate eligibility in their primary sport by the end of the 2026 spring season or received their undergraduate degree prior to the conclusion of the summer 2026 term and have a minimum cumulative grade-point average of 2.500 (4.000 scale). Institutions are permitted to submit up to two nominees for each award if at least one is an international or ethnic minority student-athlete.
America East began honoring a Woman of the Year in 2006 and introduced the Man of the Year award in 2015.
UNH men's track & field athlete Yoofi Abaka-Amuah (Worcester, Mass.) is the Wildcats' nominee for 2025-26 America East Man of the Year. CLICK HERE to read the Yoofi Abaka-Amuah press release.
Players Mentioned
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