General | 7/19/2023 2:10:25 PM
Nikolle Van Stralen, a member of the Nazareth University women’s hockey team was named the 2022-23 Empire 8 Conference Co-Woman of the Year. This award honors a senior female student-athlete who has distinguished herself throughout her collegiate career in the areas of academic achievement, athletics excellence, service and leadership.
Van Stralen is the fifth student-athlete from Nazareth chosen as the conference’s Woman of the Year and first since 2019.
Van Stralen, an inaugural member of the Nazareth women’s hockey team, recently completed a remarkable five-year career as a forward on the nationally-ranked women's ice hockey team, Van Stralen, a native of Bloomfield, NY, graduated summa cum laude in 2022 with a cumulative grade-point average of 4.0 as an occupational science major. She is working on her master’s degree as an occupational therapy major.
A three-year captain, Van Stralen helped lead Nazareth to two consecutive United Collegiate Hockey Conference (UCHC) Tournament Championships in 2022 and 2023 and two NCAA Division III Tournament appearances. The Golden Flyers finished 94-20-7 in Van Stralen’s five seasons, including a 67-8-4 mark in UCHC regular season play.
“It is an incredible honor to have won this award,” said Van Stralen. “I am proud to have represented Nazareth over the past five years and feel humbled to be chosen among many talented young women. Playing hockey at Nazareth has impacted me is so many ways. I have gotten to play with many incredible young women who have impacted who I am as person and leader. Hockey has made me more resilient, flexible, and confident, all of which are qualities I will bring forward with me.”
Individually, Van Stralen played in a program record 118 games for the Golden Flyers and recorded 71 points on 39 goals and 32 assists. She tallied eight game-winning goals, three shorthanded markers and was a plus-70. Van Stralen scored a career-best 10 goals in 2019-20 and excelled in 2021-22 with 22 points on nine goals and 13 assists, while recording a plus-28 rating. She scored two goals and added an assist in the 2022 UCHC Championship game win over Manhattanville en route to earning All-Tournament Team honors.
“We are incredibly proud of Nikolle,” said Chris Baudo, Nazareth Women’s Hockey Head Coach. “She served as a daily example within our culture and a role model for our young team members through her tireless work ethic both on and off of the ice. She always committed herself fully to every endeavor during her time at Nazareth. This recognition is deserved and is a testament to her character.”
Academically, Van Stralen earned Dean's List honors in each of her semesters at Nazareth, while earning Empire 8 President’s list accolades nine times. She was a five-time UCHC All-Academic Team selection and five-time American Collegiate Hockey Coaches Association All-Academic pick.
Most recently, Van Stralen won the Award for Excellence in Occupational Therapy from Nazareth College, awarded to a “graduate student who has demonstrated excellence in academic achievement, contributions to classroom learning and fieldwork performance.” She also completed Fellowship in Leadership and Education in Neurodevelopmental Disabilities (LEND) at the University of Rochester Golisano Children's Hospital (2022-2023) and presented graduate research titled
“Maternal Role Development and Occupational Therapy” at Nazareth University's Creative Activity and Research Showcase.
Off the ice, Van Stralen excelled as a member of the Nazareth community. She served as a volunteer coach for the Rochester Ice Cats Special Hockey team, was a member of the Best Buddies organization and volunteered at a variety of Special Olympics events in the greater Rochester area. Van Stralen also volunteered with kindergarten students at School 9 in the Rochester City School District, YMCA Center for Equity, was an alternative break member for the Capital Area Therapeutic Riding Association and with the Bloomfield Food Pantry.
“We are proud to have Nikolle represent Nazareth University and the Empire 8 conference as Co-Woman of the Year,” said Pete Bothner, Nazareth Director of Athletics. “Nikolle is a leader on the ice, in the classroom, and really embraced Nazareth's culture of inclusion during her time here.”
Van Stralen was a five-year winner of the Nazareth’s end-of-season team 'Hold the Rope' award, "given to the player who best represented the characteristics deeply valued in work ethic, grit, toughness and resilience, both in practice and games.
“Nikolle has forged an indelible legacy as a founding member of the Nazareth women’s hockey program,” said Empire 8 Associate Commissioner Joe Venniro. “While her athletic and academic achievements are certainly impressive, what she has accomplished off the ice through her service to others is incredible. Nikolle is a true leader who will no doubt excel in her future professional endeavors.”
Van Stralen joins an elite group of student-athletes from across NCAA Division I, II and III nominated for the award. Established in 1991, the award recognizes female student-athletes who have exhausted their eligibility and distinguished themselves in their community, in athletics and in academics throughout their college careers. She will also be forwarded to the national DIII Commissioner’s Association Senior Female Athlete of the Year award.
As 2023 marks the 50th anniversary of Title IX, the NCAA Woman of the Year program is an important opportunity to honor and reflect on the impact of women on intercollegiate sports.
The committee will choose the top ten nominees in each division (I, II and III). From among those 30 honorees, the selection committee will determine the top three in each division. From those nine, the 2022 NCAA Woman of the Year will be chosen.
Van Stralen and fellow co-winner Sydney French of St. John Fisher University led a strong contingent of four outstanding nominees considered by the Empire 8 Woman of the Year Committee:
2022-23 Empire 8 Female Senior Scholar Athlete of the Year Finalists
Amanda Burrichter, Houghton University
Sydney Gagnon, Hartwick College
Nikolle Van Stralen, Nazareth University
Sydney French, St. John Fisher University
For more information on the NCAA Woman of the Year,
CLICK HERE.
Past E8 Woman of the Year
ABOUT THE EMPIRE 8 CONFERENCE
The members of the Empire 8 Conference are committed first and foremost to the pursuit of academic excellence and the league is regarded as an outstanding NCAA Division III conference. The membership has distinguished itself among its peer group for its quality institutions, spirited and sportsmanlike competition, outstanding services and highly ethical policies and practices. Its commitment to serve the educational needs of its student-athletes is the hallmark of the E8. For more on the Empire 8 visit
www.empire8.com.
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