Villanova Univeristy Athletics

Nicole DiMaggio graduated from Villanova as the field hockey program’s all-time leader in goals scored and points, records which would stand for six years after her collegiate career ended. She played for the Wildcats from 1997-00 and was inducted to the Varsity Club Hall of Fame in 2021. At the time of her induction, she remained the only player in program history to have three seasons with at least four game-winning goals.
 
A native of West Chester, Pa., DiMaggio was a local product who came to Villanova after playing scholastically at Unionville High School. She would go on to have a record-setting career for the Wildcats, as during her senior season in 2000 she broke the program’s previous career marks for goals scored and points which had each been held by fellow Varsity Club Hall of Famer Sharon Seiz (1985-88). DiMaggio finished with totals of 56 goals, 10 assists and 122 points in her four seasons on the Main Line. She remained second in the program record book in both categories when she was selected for Hall of Fame induction.
 
DiMaggio was the fifth player in Villanova history to appear in every team game during her four seasons. She started 82 of 83 contests for the Wildcats and was a three-time All-BIG EAST performer. As a freshman in 1997, DiMaggio earned both All-Rookie Team honors and a spot on the all-conference second team. She would repeat as a second team All-BIG EAST honoree in her junior and senior years (1999, 2000). DiMaggio was named to the NFHCA Mid-Atlantic Region second team in 1998 and 1999. Following her senior season she was chosen to play in the NFHCA North/South Senior All-Star Game.
 
Villanova went 44-39 during DiMaggio’s career and twice played in postseason tournaments, including the ECAC Tournament hosted by Yale in 1998 where the Wildcats advanced to the final after defeating Rutgers in a semifinal game for their 13^th win of the year. One season later, Villanova compiled a 13-8 record and qualified for the BIG EAST Championships for the first time in six years.
 
DiMaggio made an immediate impact for the Wildcats and recorded two hat tricks during her 1997 rookie season. She led the team with 12 goals and 24 points on the year, then followed that time with a team-high 15 goals in 1998. Her biggest contributions often came in the most pivotal moments. DiMaggio recorded 13 career multi-goal games and scored 14 career game-winning goals, including two in overtime at Saint Joseph’s in 1998 and versus Penn in 2000. Beginning with her sophomore year, DiMaggio tallied four game-winning goals in three consecutive seasons from 1998-00. She had four multi-goal games during both her junior and senior years.
 
As a junior in 1999, DiMaggio ranked third on the team with career highs of 16 goals scored and 37 points. Those totals each ranked in the top-seven in school history for a single season at the time. She followed up the performance by scoring at least one goal in each of the first five games of the 2000 season. It was only the seventh time in school history that a player netted a goal in five or more straight contests and DiMaggio finished the stretch with 18 points (eight goals, two assists). She finished her collegiate career with 281 shots and was the team leader in that category in three of her four seasons played.