Katie Niccolai '24 Recruiting Profile

My name is Katie Niccolai. A fun fact about me is that I fought my parents on playing ice hockey in exchange for tutus in figure skates. However, as I am constantly reminded, as soon as I got off the ice after my first hockey practice my words were, "Dad I'm a hockey player."

I'm from New Jersey with a 2006 birth year. For my 2022-23 season, I played with my high school hockey team at The Pingry School in Bedminster, NJ. I transferred to my current high school the summer going into my junior year, having earned a full scholarship to play goalie for their Girl's Ice Hockey Program, coached by Alex Nanfara. Before this year however, I played goalie for my previous school, Bernards High School, on their co-ed Varsity hockey team, and forward for their co-ed Junior Varsity team. Having made such a big change during an important academic and athletic year of high school, I wanted to focus primarily on my school and its team. Being new was daunting, but my fun and outgoing personality allowed me to create strong bonds with a team that had known one another for at least 4 years. Additionally, through drive and hard work, I was able to take my team to the state championship for the first time, having gotten a shutout in our semi-final game and later ending the season with a .902 save percentage. The leadership and consistency I put into my team, not only showed in the results of games and how far we were able to go but also in awards I received, such as the team MVP award.

Hockey has always been a big part of my life having played for the past 12 years, with my whole family. Growing up I played on a small club team, where I demonstrated my versatility on the ice by playing both goalie, center, and wing. With my experience as a forward, I was able to put that into my performance as a goaltender and acquire a different understanding of the game when in the net. As I've finished the school year, my summer plans have consisted of, and will continue to be training sessions with my goalie coach, Bogart Kisch, once a week until my high school season starts in November.

Finishing my junior year at Pingry, I maintained an average "A" in both honors and A-level classes. In college I hope to find a school that has the same academic and athletic challenges that my school currently offers, allowing me to push myself to my full potential. I also want to be involved in a school with a tight-knit community among students and teachers alike, while also playing at the DI or DIII level. In the meantime, when I'm not on the ice I play Golf, Volleyball, and Lacrosse, along with Lifeguarding and most importantly spending time with my friends and family.