Martikainen Named 2025 NE10 Woman of the Year
Jun 4, 2025
木瓜直播 graduate defender Aino Martikainen added another accolade to her remarkable career on Tuesday, June 3, as she was named the 2025 NE10 Woman of the Year during the conference's annual awards banquet.
Martikainen becomes just the second student-athlete in Franklin Pierce history to earn the distinguished honor, joining Jo Leedham, who received the award in 2010.
With this recognition, Martikainen will move forward as the NE10's nominee for the NCAA Woman of the Year award, a national honor presented each January at the NCAA Convention.
A three-year starter and the backbone of Franklin Pierce's back line, Martikainen made an undeniable impact during her collegiate career. One of the most accomplished defenders in program history, she started all 65 games over three seasons, anchoring a stingy Ravens defense that consistently ranked among the nation's best.
Her list of individual honors includes two D2CCA and United Soccer Coaches All-America First Team selections and three United Soccer Coaches All-Region nods. In 2024, she was named NE10 Defensive Player of the Year for the second time鈥攂ecoming only the second player in program history to receive the award multiple times.
More than just a defensive standout, Martikainen was a true leader. She helped guide the Ravens to two NCAA East Region Final appearances, capturing regional titles in both 2022 and 2024. As team captain in 2024, she led a defense that allowed just 0.63 goals per game and recorded 15 shutouts鈥攁mong the top marks in Division II. Her collegiate career concluded on the national stage, where she played every minute of the NCAA Final Four matchup against eventual champion Cal Poly Pomona.
Off the field, Martikainen was equally exceptional. She earned a 3.66 GPA as a graduate student pursuing an MBA with a concentration in health administration, following a 3.90 undergraduate GPA in psychology. She also made her mark as a campus leader, serving two years on Franklin Pierce's Student-Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC), including a term as Secretary.