Former Canton Star Elected to Field Hockey Hall of Fame

Former Canton High School standout athlete Anna Norland is among seven women who will inducted into the Connecticut Field Hockey Hall of Fame later this month.

Norland, currently a biology teacher at Northwestern Regional High School in Winsted, was elected to the Hal of Fame in the college player category for her outstanding career at Trinity College.

At Canton High School, she was one of only a handful of female athletes that earned twelve varsity letters in field hockey, basketball, and softball. She excelled at all three sports throughout the 12 seasons she played.

In field hockey, she was a starting forward from 1990 to 1993. In that span, the Warriors amassed a 66-3-4 record, capturing back-to-back Class S state championships in 1991 and 1992. Under coach Nancy Grace, they won four straight conference championships, had a 47-game winning streak and a 52-game unbeaten stretch.

Individually, Norland scored 22 goals a sophomore – still a school record – and finished with 79 goals and 27 assists. She was twice named All-State and was named to the all-conference team three times.

Not only was she an outstanding athlete, she was an excellent student as well. She earned Scholar-Athlete awards in field hockey, basketball, and softball.

“Anna became interested in the game of field hockey through her older sister, Emily, also a standout athlete for Canton,” Grace said. “At that time in her life, she had no idea the impact the game would have on her entire life. Anna’s field hockey career could only be defined as magical.”

Her stellar career continued at Trinity College, where she started in 59 out of 60 career games for coach Robin Sheppard. Her teams competed in the quarterfinals of the ECAC, NCAA first round, and NCAA quarterfinals. Norland scored 30 career goals with 26 assists, and was captain in her senior year.

She was an Academic All-American, selected to the All-NESCAC first team, and selected to the Regional All-American second team. She received the Board of Fellows Outstanding Scholar Athlete Award and the Trinity Club of Hartford Outstanding Woman Athlete Award.

“Nancy Grace and Robin Sheppard, my high school and college coaches and Connecticut Field Hockey Hall of Famers both, showed me the power of a team, the ability for one person to influence and to strive to always put myself in situations in which I can be my best,” Norland said. “My parents have always loved me for my precocious self, and have been proud of and believe in who I am. Encouraging my endeavors, celebrating my successes and commiserating my missteps. As many times as I fall, I pick myself up, brush myself off. Learning how to fail, come up short, come in second and come out better for it is a lesson that I perhaps am most grafeful for, well, other than always to run fast, jump high and get dirty.”

She and her fellow honorees will be inducted into the Hall of Fame Sunday, Sept. 27 at the Aqua Turf Club in Southington. Tickets are $50, and may be ordered by contacting Terri Ziemnicki at hockeycoachtaz@cox.net or (860) 653-5127.

Photo courtesy of Anna Norland