Mother-Daughter Field Hockey Tandem From Suffield Makes History

SUFFIELD, CT — In her 52 years of coaching field hockey, legendary Enfield coach Cookie Bromage does not recall a single instance where a mother-daughter duo captured Coach of the Year and Player of the Year honors in the same season.

That all changed Tuesday night, as Suffield High School standout Anna Casinghino and her mom, head coach Heather Casinghino, received those awards at the Connecticut High School Coaches Association banquet at the Aqua Turf Club in Southington.

Anna was named State Player of the Year after tallying 17 goals and eight assists for the Wildcats. The UConn-bound senior was named to the All-State team for the third straight season, and earned All-NCCC honors for the fourth consecutive year.

Her mom, named Class M Coach of the Year, guided the Wildcats to a 14-1-0-1 regular season record, earning the top seed in the state tournament. Shockingly, Suffield was upended 1-0 in the quarterfinals by a determined Sacred Heart Academy team, which went on to play in the championship game.

Nine Suffield players were present at the banquet to see their coach and teammate accept their accolades.

"Thank you to my thoughtful players for supporting me at the All-State Banquet," Heather Casinghino wrote on her Facebook page. "My Coach of the Year award belongs to them!! They enriched my life every single day of the season and continue to do so. I couldn’t have done it without them. I will miss my seniors more than they will ever know."

Photo courtesy of Heather Casinghino

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