Rowan’s Kristiina Castagnola leaves a legacy in the field hockey program; ‘All that hard work paid off’
The Eastern Regional High School graduate made a program change after her first collegiate season from playing Division I to Division III. However it was the best decision the midfielder ever made.
Kristiina Castagnola was determined to play a sport. So when she was cut from the Voorhees Middle School soccer team in seventh grade, she decided to try field hockey, a sport she knew little about.
She went to Dick’s Sporting Goods, picked out a classic STX stick, and had a few friends show her the basics. On tryout day, Castagnola felt a sigh of relief when the coach said, “We’re really glad you came out.”
“From that point forward, I couldn’t put my stick down,” Castagnola said. “It felt like I naturally had a bit of talent, but also a lot of hard work was put into it. But from the moment I picked up the stick, I knew it was going to be more than just playing. I wasn’t going to mess around.”
And she did just that. Now a Rowan graduate student, Castagnola’s collegiate success hasn’t gone unnoticed. In her final year of eligibility, she was named the National Field Hockey Coaches Association Division III Player of the Year, becoming the first female athlete in Rowan history to earn the nation’s top player award.
“I never once felt that I couldn’t attain something like this because of the support and the things that were provided to me here at Rowan,” Castagnola said. “I’m so grateful. It feels like all that hard work paid off.”
In her four years with the program, Castagnola found her footing as a midfielder after playing defense throughout high school. She’s the Profs’ all-time scoring leader with 163 goals in 87 starts.
Besides her individual accolades, Castagnola was a key leader in helping Rowan win three New Jersey Athletic Conference championships and make four NCAA Tournament appearances, where they advanced to the semifinals in 2022, 2021, and 2018.
“She has amazing leadership capabilities,” said Rowan head coach Michelle Andre, a Pennsauken native. “She did stuff beyond what was required at practice.
“You’re going to thrive when you put the time in, and she put that time in. She would lead by example and could also open her mouth when she needed to, because if she demanded [it of] you, she was already doing it.”
» READ MORE: ‘You can do this!’ Love that helped her beat cancer inspires Rowan’s Molly Gorczyca
Castagnola said those on- and off-the-field qualities were instilled in her by coaches and teammates from nationally ranked Eastern Regional High School.
In her first season with the Vikings, Castagnola was put on the freshman team. Karlee Spirit, a junior at the time who went on to play for Wake Forest, took Castagnola under her wing and told her if she kept putting in the work, she’ll move up to junior varsity.
“Then sophomore year, she’s like, ‘You’re gonna start this year on varsity, and we’re going to make it happen,’” Castagnola said. “She was so helpful because I think a lot of the times when you’re an athlete, it just takes one person believing in you, encouraging you, and keeping you on pace to do what you should be able to do.”
Castagnola knew she wanted to play college field hockey. Devon Bell, her club coach on Spirit of USA, helped her through the recruiting process. The two would meet at a Starbucks near Castagnola’s home in Voorhees and pump out emails to college coaches, mentioning the upcoming tournaments she’ll be playing in and a few highlight clips from her games.
After receiving Division I offers, she committed to play field hockey at Penn State. Castagnola knew a few upperclassman who were playing for the Nittany Lions and asked whether it would be the right fit.
“It’s challenging, but a good challenge,” Castagnola said about the advice they offered. “They pushed you to be better. ... For me, the biggest thing was that I wasn’t always a great student, academically. I needed somewhere that I had the support when I was miles away from my family that used to be the people helping me.”
However, being more than four hours away from home took a toll on Castagnola, who found herself getting homesick after the first couple of months on Penn State’s campus. She knew after her first season that she wanted to transfer. But it was difficult to voice those feelings.
“It was the hardest decision I ever made,” Castagnola said. “You have this dream of being a Division I athlete that you talk about. But I stand by it. It was the best decision I’ve ever made.
“I knew deep down that’s where I wanted to go, but I think I was so worried about Division I versus Division III, when, realistically, all the divisions are the same. They’re all really great athletes.”
» READ MORE: Eastern High’s legendary field hockey coach Danyle Heilig retires
Her family supported the decision. Her dad even left a poem in her room one day while she was back at home sorting through the transfer details. Part of the poem read, “Can I look back at the man in the mirror and whatever decision I made, am I OK with it?”
She knew then her family trusted her decision, even if she didn’t fully believe in herself. But when the Profs brought Castagnola into the program, the uncertainty went away.
“At the end of the day, it’s just the people we’re around and the things you’re about to accomplish that counts,” Castagnola said. “We’re really proud of what we’ve been able to accomplish and what we’ve been able to change here.”
Her journey playing for a top-notch high school program to building success at Rowan has helped determine the next step in life as she said farewell to her playing career — becoming a coach.
“I am the player I am because I’ve had such inspiring coaches, inspiring people in my life,” Castagnola said. “It wouldn’t have been possible without field hockey. I’d be honored one day to be that person for someone else.”