After making her mark on the field, former field hockey standout Kristiina Castagnola moved to the sidelines, as she was named an assistant coach with the Profs, beginning her coaching career in 2023. She became the first full-time assistant coach for Rowan’s field hockey program.
Castagnola closed out her career this past season, making school history with her selection as the NFHCA Division III Player of the Year, becoming the first female athlete at Rowan to win her sport’s top player award. She was also named the Honda Division III Athlete of the Year for field hockey and was one of 11 national finalists for the Honda Division III Athlete of the Year.
One of the most honored student-athletes ever to play at Rowan, Castagnola was a three-time All-American, with the past two years as a first-team selection. The program’s leading scorer with 163 points (66 goals, 31 assists), she was named the Region IV Player of the Year and the NJAC Midfielder of the Year for two consecutive seasons. A four-time All-NJAC First Team selection and four-time All-Region honoree, she was named the NJAC Female Athlete of the Year in 2023 for the second time.
“We are excited to have Kristiina join our staff. She is coming off a heralded career at Rowan and she will be a valuable asset to the program,” said head coach Michelle Andre. “Her experience in coaching club, training and her knowledge of Rowan, as well as her passion for Rowan, will be a great addition to our program.”
Castaganola was named to the CSC Academic All-America Women’s At-Large First Team in 2023, after receiving third-team honors the previous year, and was chosen as the Philadelphia Academic All-Area Overall Performer of the Year in both 2022 and 2023.
During her career, the Profs went 76-11, won three NJAC Championships and reached the NCAA Tournament all four years, highlighted by three trips to the NCAA Semifinals, including back to back appearances in 2021 and 2022.
Since 2020, she has been the social media manager and a head coach for the Uprise Field Hockey Club in Southern New Jersey, which is annually one of the nation’s top clubs.
Castagnola was a graduate assistant in Rowan’s College of Education this past year and previously served as a resident director in the school’s Holly Pointe Commons in 2021-22.
The native of Voorhees, NJ, received her master’s degree in higher education administration from Rowan in May, after earning a bachelor’s degree in communication studies in 2021.
