Anna Castaldo knows Drexel field hockey can ‘be great’. Here’s how she’s leading the charge

After a four-year career at Maryland, Castaldo learned what it took to be a part of a national championship-caliber program. Now, she's bringing that to the Dragons in her final year

With a team high in goals and bringing leadership qualities from the other side of the country, Anna Castaldo has been a key piece for Drexel field hockey this season.Read moreDrexel Athletics

by Paulie Loscalzo

Published Oct. 1, 2024, 10:31 a.m. ET

It can be said that when new players come to a program and immediately assert themselves as a key part of their new team, they make themselves impossible to ignore. For Anna Castaldo, the graduate transfer who has brought a winning mindset and scoring punch to Drexel field hockey, that statement couldn’t be more true.

A native of Maine, New York, Castaldo spent her childhood continuing the family legacy: being an elite athlete. Her dad, a former professional baseball player in the Baltimore Orioles minor league system, and her mom, a former field hockey player at Lock Haven University, pushed her to pursue a variety of sports growing up, but field hockey is where Castaldo consistently found herself flourishing.

By the time she was a freshman at Maine-Endwell High School, Castaldo had already committed to her “dream school,” the University of Maryland. The Terrapins surely had a crystal ball, as by her senior year, after capturing two state championships, Castaldo had been named the New York State Player of the Year by MAX Field Hockey.

While the pandemic complicated the beginning of her collegiate career, Castaldo looks back on her four years at Maryland as a memorable experience.

“I had a great four years there,” Castaldo said. “I love the school a lot, I loved the people I was around, I loved everything about it. I came in at a rough time with COVID, but I grew a lot there. The person that I was when I got there was very different [from] how I ended my time there. I love different things about the game that I didn’t love before.”

During her time as a Terrapin was Castaldo learned what it took to be a part of a national championship-caliber program. Over her four years, Maryland appeared in two Final Fours and one Elite Eight.

“I love the whole process of everything,” Castaldo said.”I loved practice, loved lifting, I loved everything about being with my team. I loved the level at which we played and how competitive it was. There’s nothing like being able to go to the Final Four and compete and know that you worked so hard to be there.”

After completing her undergraduate studies at Maryland, Castaldo was ready to move on to a new program. This time through her recruitment process, she had a different perspective on what she was seeking in a program.

“I knew exactly what I wanted and was looking for after being in Maryland for four years. I just wanted to find that same love for the team and find great people who have similar values to mine,” she said. “I wanted to know that I was going to play in a program that had a ton of potential and I wanted to help make the program better in any way that I could,” Castaldo explained. “I think that my decision as to where I was going at first out of high school, it was more about going to a really high level program, but I think I changed it to [looking for] the kind of values and characteristics of a program that I want to be a part of because I think that means everything in terms of success and growth.”

At Drexel, Castaldo found the program that she was looking to spend her final two seasons of collegiate field hockey building up. And, through nine games, she has done well to make a good first impression in West Philadelphia. The newcomer leads the Dragons with four goals, two of which came in a thrilling come-from-behind win against Villanova. Earlier this season, she was named the Coastal Athletic Association’s Offensive Player of the Week, as well as the Drexel Dragon of the Week for her efforts.

“I’ve been really excited to contribute a lot on the field,” Castaldo said. “Coming into any place, my mindset was that nothing would ever be set in stone or just be given to me because that is not what I would’ve wanted in a place, so I knew I wanted to earn whatever I was getting.”

The Dragons have received positive individual contributions from various players this season, one that has fueled a 6-3 overall record and an unbeaten streak in the CAA (2-0). With much of the season still left to play, Drexel is on track to achieve great things this season — and Castaldo will be a key reason why.

“I think we are doing a good job right now,” Castaldo said. “We had a tough loss [against Albany], but I think we know exactly what we have to do to get better. We play great against better teams, so I feel like it’s just about focusing more on ourselves to set the tone and the standard that we want to be training at and playing games at and not waiting for the other teams to do that first.” Castaldo said. “We are extremely capable of being great.”