Offensive Player of the Year

NHFHCA Offensive Player of the Year

After starting her high school field hockey career as a defender at Oyster River High School (ORHS) and only having played two seasons on offense, the New Hampshire Field Hockey Coaches Association (NFHCA) has named Rowynn Pickering (‘26) Division 2 Offensive Player of the Year. One of the best parts of this award for the ORHS girls’ field hockey team is that Pickering still has another season left as an offensive threat for Oyster River. 

This title represents a player’s dedication, hard work, confidence, skill, and many other factors that they add to their game to push themselves above and beyond the rest. Pickering stood out this season. Her talent has shined through the uncertainty of those who doubted her, but Pickering has always been a standout player. 

From the start of her field hockey career anyone watching could see she had a talent for the game. Pickering first picked up a stick when she was eleven years old and hasn’t looked back since. She could take the ball from her defensive twenty-five-yard line all the way down the field and into the opposing team’s net. Her knack for making defensive stops and turning them into offensive opportunities transitioned into her high school career where, funny enough, she started out as a defender. 

During her first high school season, Pickering made varsity alongside three other freshmen, but she wasn’t put in a position where she could contribute the most. “My freshman year I started on defense, which I had never played before. I hated it,” says Pickering. “Freshman year wasn’t my favorite year. I didn’t like my position, and I didn’t feel like [the team] had a good flow.” 

The field hockey program at Oyster River has faced some struggles in past years, with not having enough skilled players for a successful season. But when Anne Golding became head coach in 2017 her goal was to change it. 

During Pickering’s freshman year in 2022, Oyster River was almost in a place where they had fully rebuilt their program. That year, the field hockey team finished just below the middle of the pack with seven wins, one tie, and seven losses. 

When her sophomore year rolled around, it was finally Pickering’s time to shine. New varsity members of the team took on the defense position and gave Pickering her opportunity to join the forward line. “I moved to forward, and I feel like I just clicked,” says Pickering. The field hockey team had its most successful season in recent years going twelve and four, and throughout those sixteen games Pickering was able to net fourteen goals. 

As Pickering entered the 2024 season, she had a feeling this would be her year. When her coach asked her about her personal goals for the season, Pickering said “Making All-State first team and then hopefully getting Offensive Player of the Year.” 

Even though Pickering was committed to win this award, she still had people doubting her. When the projected All-State list came out at the beginning of the season, Sadie McLeod (‘26) remembers it giving Pickering a new motivation, “I remember Ori, [from Souhegan] was projected to be offensive player of the year. Rowynn made it her goal to prove those who doubted her wrong.” 

Prove them wrong is what she did. Throughout her junior season, both Rowynn and the team strived for their first championship since 1979. 

The team faced the season with a one game at a time mindset, winning nine in a row before eventually losing to Hollis-Brookline in overtime. However, this loss didn’t faze them. They won every regular season game that followed. Throughout these games Pickering was a key player for the Bobcats. 

Fellow teammate Nora Rogers (‘26) explains that Pickering really stood out this year. “She deserved Offensive Player of the Year… I think that over anyone I’ve seen out of teams we played she was a standout.” 

Pickering and the rest of the Bobcats’ season came to an unfortunate end when they lost in the second round of playoffs 1-0 to a strong Hanover team. Pickering finished this season with an impressive 17 goals. 

As the regular season came to an end, it was time for the New Hampshire Field Hockey Coaches Association (NHFHCA) to decide on the All-State teams and end of season awards. ORFH Goalie Coach Kate Heaney discussed the process for winning this award, “So a player is not eligible for this award unless their coach nominates them,” Heaney explains, “Then it’s up to the opinions of the other coaches. Your coach can vouch for you but you need to be voted on by the other coaches from the state.” 

Oyster River had great representation in all three All-State teams with three Bobcats (including Pickering) making First Team, one making Second Team, and two recognized with the title of honorable mention. With these teams also came the release of individual awards. With all of her hard work this past season, Pickering reached her goal of Offensive Player of the Year. Getting this award is such a great achievement for Pickering. “It’s a little bit of self-validation, but it’s also recognition from your opponents that not only do I see myself this way but so do other teams and other coaches,” says Heaney.  

Rose Goldsmith (‘25) says that there are a lot of factors that contributed to Rowynn winning this award, “Everyone notices the presence she has on the field. She does a good job of taking control of the game and forces her teammates and opponents to play at her pace.” 

The team is proud to call Pickering one of their own. Rogers says, “I think she deserves to be recognized for all the hard work she’s done and all the effort she’s put into practices and the team.”  

And even though this award is specific to Pickering’s success, she couldn’t have reached this goal without the help of her team. “It’s a nice piece of recognition for the whole team even though it’s an individual award, because a lot of goals come with assists,” says Heaney. 

Pickering herself agrees that she had a lot of help from her teammates this season. She says, “Our team is so strong I have really good players behind me and with me on the forward line. I feel like everyone played a huge part, especially being with such a strong defense and midfield. I didn’t have to do everything to help the team because everyone was doing their job.”  

With Pickering and four other All-State players returning for the Bobcats next season, they are looking to yet again be a threat. Heaney says, “This recognition helps us bring attention into the next season to be one of the teams to watch.”  

Despite only playing two years on offense, Pickering has 65 points (assists and goals), and she patiently waits for a chance to knock on the door of the 100-point club next season and potentially get Offensive Player of the Year for the second year in a row 

-Olivia Andersen

Photos courtesy of Kelly Andersen