National Player of the Year Video

GENEVA, NY – Kristiina Castagnola of Rowan has been chosen as the 2022 National Field Hockey Coaches Association Division III Player of the Year, putting a finishing touch on her long list of accomplishments that solidifies her status as one of the most decorated student-athletes in Prof history.

CASTAGNOLA'S BIO

Castagnola becomes the first female athlete in Rowan history to earn the nation's top player award, as chosen by the coaches' association of the respective sport. She is the second Prof athlete to earn their sport's top award as Andy Logar was the Division III Men's Soccer Player of the Year in 1991.
 
Castagnola's selection as the nation's top player comes after she was named to the 2022 NFHCA All-America First Team, making her a three-time All-American, with two consecutive years on the First Team.
 
She was the catalyst for third-ranked Rowan, which went 21-2, made its second straight appearance in the NCAA Semifinals and won back-to-back conference championships, while being ranked among the nation's top three teams all season.
 
Often the focus of the opponent's game plan, Castagnola notched a career-best 52 points this season, with 21 goals and 10 assists. She netted six game-winning goals in 2022 and recorded her first two career hat tricks while directing the Profs' offense from the midfield.
 
This season, she was chosen the NFHCA Region IV Player of the Year and the NJAC Midfielder of the Year, honors she also received in 2021. Castagnola has been an All-Region and All-NJAC selection all four seasons at Rowan, with three years on the All-Region First Team and four on the All-Conference First Team.
 
With Rowan's second straight appearance in the NCAA Semifinals this year, Castagnola was chosen to the NCAA Championship All-Tournament Team for the second time.

"Kristiina has achieved the highest honor in our sport. It is so well deserved and she has worked very hard to achieve this honor and she will leave Rowan as the one of the most decorated field hockey players to come through the program. She has been able to do it all, receive her bachelor's and master's degrees and compete at the highest level," said head coach Michelle Andre.
 
During her career she has also been honored for her excellence in the classroom and was named the PhillySIDA Academic All-Area Field Hockey Performer of the Year in 2022, earning that award for the second time. Castagnola, who will receive her master's degree in higher education administration this spring, was named to the 2021-22 CoSIDA Academic All-America Third Team and has been an NFHCA Scholar of Distinction multiple times.
 
Castagnola closed out her career as Rowan's all-time leading scorer with 163 points (66 goals, 31 assists), with 13 game-winning goals. She stands sixth in conference history in career points and among NCAA Division III players current in the 2022 season, she ranks third in career points, fourth in goals and fifth in assists.
 
Rowan enjoyed great success during her four seasons (2018-22) as the Profs compiled a 76-11 record with three conference titles and three berths in the NCAA Semifinals.