Former Franklin Pierce women’s soccer standout and NCAA Division II legend Pauliina Miettinen '99 returns to Rindge for the 2026 season as an assistant coach for the Ravens.
One of the most accomplished players in program and NCAA Division II history, Miettinen starred for Franklin Pierce from 1995-98 and helped lead the Ravens to three national championships. A three-year captain, she earned All-America honors three times while rewriting the program and NCAA record books with 122 career goals, 65 assists and an NCAA-record 309 career points. Miettinen was also a two-time NCAA Division II National Player of the Year and a two-time Academic All-American.
Originally arriving at Franklin Pierce as a goalkeeper after earning nine caps with the Finnish National Team, Miettinen transitioned to forward and became one of the most prolific scorers in collegiate soccer history. Following her collegiate career, she returned to the international stage and added 17 more appearances for Finland as a defender, making her one of the rare players to compete internationally both in goal and on the field.
Miettinen graduated from Franklin Pierce in 1999 with a Bachelor of Science degree in secondary education and psychology before immediately beginning her coaching career. She served as an assistant coach for the Ravens in 1999 and helped guide the program to another national championship.
Her coaching resume also includes collegiate stops at Barry University and Florida State University, where she helped the Seminoles reach the NCAA College Cup Semifinals in 2005. Internationally, Miettinen has held multiple coaching positions in her native Finland, including serving as head coach for PK-35 in the Finnish Premier League.
In addition to her collegiate and international coaching experience, Miettinen also served as head coach of Sky Blue FC in Women’s Professional Soccer (WPS), becoming one of the few Finnish coaches to lead a professional women’s club in the United States.
Miettinen was inducted individually into the Franklin Pierce Athletics Hall of Fame in 2009 and was also later inducted as a member of the Ravens’ national championship teams.
