2021 – SENIOR SEASON
Awards: Named to the Big Ten All-Tournament Team.
Season: Started in 12 games…Selected as a team captain…Recorded nine goals, 12 ground balls and seven caused turnovers.
Game-By-Game: at Northwestern (3/11): Collected one caused turnover and two ground balls. at Northwestern (3/13): Recorded one caused turnover. at Ohio State (3/26): Notched one ground ball and one caused turnover. at Ohio State (3/28): Scored a goal…Recorded one ground ball…Matched a career high with two caused turnovers. at Johns Hopkins (4/7): Found the net once…Picked up three ground balls. Maryland (4/11): Scored one goal…Added a caused turnover. Johns Hopkins (4/18): Recorded one goal, three ground balls and a caused turnover. vs. Johns Hopkins (4/29): Tied a career high with five goals, all in the second half…Grabbed a ground ball.
2020 – JUNIOR SEASON
Awards: Named an Academic All-Big Ten selection...Collected Big Ten Distinguished Scholar honors.
Season: Started all seven games…Tallied nine goals, three assists, two ground balls, three draw controls and three caused turnovers…Had two multi-point games…The 2020 season was canceled on March 12 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Game-By-Game: at Towson (2/8): Found the net once in the first half. Lehigh (2/15): Scored a goal in the second half. Duquesne (2/19): Collected a season-high four goals, including a first-half hat trick…Assisted on a goal by Maria Auth…Added a ground ball, a draw control and a caused turnover. Cornell (2/23): Tallied three goals in the first half…Won two draws. Loyola (2/29): Caused one turnover. at James Madison (3/4): Assisted on a goal by Auth. at Vanderbilt (3/8): Recorded an assist in the second half…Added a ground ball and a caused turnover.
2019 – SOPHOMORE SEASON
Awards: Collected Academic All-Big Ten honors.
Season: Played in all 17 games, making 15 starts on attack…Led the team with 34 goals and ranked second with 42 points…Tallied eight assists, 10 ground balls, 17 draw controls and three caused turnovers…In Big Ten Play, recorded 16 goals, four assists, four ground balls, 11 draw controls and one caused turnover…Registered at least one goal in all 17 games…Had 14 multi-point games and 11 multi-goal efforts.
Rankings: Ranked No. 7 in the Big Ten in shots on goal per game (4.0) and No. 9 in the conference in shots per game (5.29).
Game-by-Game: Towson (2/9): Scored two goals, including one free-position, in the season-opening win. Lehigh (2/16): Registered two goals and an assist. at Cornell (2/23): Had a goal, an assist and three ground balls. at Princeton (2/27): Sniped one goal. at Loyola (3/2): Found the net on a free-position attempt. James Madison (3/6): Scored twice and caused a turnover. Albany (3/9): Tallied one goal. at Michigan (3/16): Collected five goals and two assists…Contributed a ground ball and two draw controls. Maryland (3/21): Recorded a goal and an assist. at Northwestern (3/28): Registered a hat trick…Added a ground ball and two draws. Ohio State (4/4): Secured two goals and an assist…Added two ground balls and a career-high four draw controls. Virginia (4/7): Tallied two scores and an assist…Contributed a ground ball, three draw controls and a caused turnover. at Duquesne (4/16): Had a goal and an assist. at Johns Hopkins (4/18): Scored three free-position goals and won three draws. Stony Brook (4/23): Recorded a hat trick and won a draw. Rutgers (4/27): Found the net twice. vs. Maryland (5/3): Scored twice in the Big Ten semifinal…Added two ground balls and two draws.
2018 – FRESHMAN SEASON
Awards: Named Big Ten Freshman of the Week (4/10).
Season: Appeared in all 20 games, making two starts, as a midfielder…Placed fifth on the team with 21 goals… Added seven assists, four ground balls, two draw controls and seven caused turnovers…Scored at least one goal in 13 games and had five multi-goal performances.
Game-by-Game: at Towson (2/10): Made her first career start…Scored a goal. at Lehigh (2/17): Collected two goals. Duquesne (2/21): Registered a goal. Cornell (2/24): Found the net once. Albany (3/11): Tallied two goals. Drexel (3/14): Had a goal and an assist. at Rutgers (3/17): Recorded a hat trick and added one assist. Princeton (3/19): Sniped one goal. Johns Hopkins (3/22): Found the net one time. at Ohio State (3/31): Recorded a goal. at Virginia (4/6): Registered a season-best six points with four goals and two assists…Added a draw control. Northwestern (4/14): Tallied a goal. Michigan (4/28): Had two goals.
HIGH SCHOOL
Was a four-year letterwinner at Moorestown High School for head coach Deanna Knobloch…Served as a captain her senior year… Led Mooretown to the state championship in 2014 and 2015...Was a three-time U.S. Lacrosse All-American...Named South Jersey Midfielder of the Year three times...Selected first-team all-state three times...Was an Esmark High School All-American in 2017...Named Moorestown High School’s best all-around female athlete...Participated in the Southern Jersey Senior All-Star Game...Left Moorestown ranking third all-time with 299 career points (208 goals, 91 assists)...Was a member of the Mooretown soccer team.
PERSONAL
Full name is Quinn Georgina Nicolai…Daughter of Joanne and Eric...Has two brothers, Alec and Cole…Brother, Alec, played hockey at Rowan University…Majoring in rehabilitation and human services…Born on June 23, 1998 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
NICOLAI ON PENN STATE
“I chose Penn State not only for its success in athletics, but also in academics. I knew I would be joining a family, not just a team, and that’s exactly what I wanted.”
DOHERTY ON NICOLAI
“Quinn is a fighter and a competitor in the midfield. She does a great job of doing all the dirty work and we’re looking for her to bring some good hustle and fill out our midfield.”