Field Hockey

New Hampshire Stuns Vermont in 2OT for 2025 #AEFH Title!


BURLINGTON, Vt. – The 2025 America East Field Hockey Championship was scoreless through the first 70 minutes, but the league’s best offense found a way as the Nicole Poulakis redirected a Tasmin Cookman shot in double overtime to lift New Hampshire to a 1-0 victory and the conference championship on Friday afternoon!

New Hampshire had scored at least two goals in each of its last 14 games, but the Catamount defense was up for the challenge and kept the Wildcats off the board through regulation and the first OT. In double overtime, Tasmin Cookman finally found some room and ripped a shot toward the cage. Nicole Poulakis was in front to redirect it in and start the championship celebration. This is UNH’s fourth America East title and first since 2013.
 
Poulakis was honored as the Most Outstanding Player after scoring twice in the semifinals and then providing the game-winner in the championship game. The senior’s 23 goals are the best in the conference this year.


New Hampshire will find out its tournament fate on Sunday night in the NCAA Field Hockey Selection Show at 10 p.m. on NCAA.com.

How it Happened:
  • It was a scoreless opening quarter with New Hampshire earning a 4-3 shot advantage and three corners. Vermont nearly broke through with 2:25 left in the period as Maddie Priestly had her shot right in front saved by Abby Johnson.
  • The Wildcats outshot the Catamounts 4-1 in the second and had three more corners but were unable to break through thanks to Merle Vaandrager.
  • Vermont secured their first penalty corner three minutes into the fourth and Abby Johnson came through with the save.
  • UNH thought they had the go-ahead goal with 4:30 left in regulation, but the goal was taken off the board after a review.
  • New Hampshire generated one penalty corner in the first overtime but wasn’t able to convert.
  • In double overtime, Tasmin Cookman carried the ball into the circle and ripped a shot at the cage which was redirected by Nicole Poulakis for the game-winner.
  • Johnson finished with three saves in 71:41 to secure the win, while Vaandrager made five stops while taking the loss.
 
Brecken Calcari of New Hampshire was named the winner of the Elite 18 award for posting the highest GPA of any athlete in the championship. The senior has a 3.98 GPA as a business administration major.
 
 
All-Championship Team
Bryant Natalie Griffin
UMass Lowell Madison Leeper
UAlbany Sophia Schoonmaker
UAlbany Jenna Zunic
Maine Nicole Kowalewski
Maine Eloise Penty
Vermont Mora Fernandez de Oliveira
Vermont Sophia Lefranc
Vermont Merla Vaandrager
New Hampshire Tasmin Cookman
New Hampshire Kathelijne Knuttel
New Hampshire Faye Meijer
New Hampshire Nicole Poulakis

 
Follow @AmericaEast on X (Formerly Twitter) to get the real-time championship updates. Use the #AEChamps and #AEFH hashtags to join the conversation.

ABOUT AMERICA EAST
Founded in 1979, the America East Conference is an elite NCAA Division I athletic conference that fosters an environment for student-athletes to become champions. Comprised of academically renowned, like-minded member institutions located in the Northeast region of the United States, America East is committed to broad-based excellence and progressive in its approach to supporting its more than 3,500 student-athletes across 18 sponsored sports. For more information, visit www.AmericaEast.com and follow the America East Conference and its social media channels, @AmericaEast.
 
- America East Conference – Where Champions Rise -