Athletics Connects 2013 Alumna and Her Husband

The ceremony welcomed family, friends, and guests with a few Hamden Hall alumni in attendance. The guests included Avery’s sister and Class of 2019 alumna Perris Giorgio, her cousins Braedon Kohler 2014, Riley Kohler 2020, and Liam Kohler 2021 along with fellow 2013 alumnus Jamie DeNicola and 2013 alumna Claire Brigham, who served as her maid of honor.

 

The couple met seven years ago when they were both working as collegiate coaches at Trinity College in Hartford where Avery was coaching Women's Lacrosse and Matt was coaching Men's Baseball. They enjoyed their honeymoon at a resort on Cape Cod, which they said is a sentimental place as they both grew up vacationing there.

 

Avery noted that sports/athletics has been the bond between the two since the beginning. Matt was a two-sport athlete at the University of Massachusetts Amherst playing hockey and baseball before he committed to baseball and played a few season in the minor league for the Boston Red Sox organization. He went on to join the coaching staff at Trinity in 2016 where he is the assistant coach for the Men's Hockey Team and Baseball Team. Avery played lacrosse at Holy Cross College and knew she wanted to continue her involvement in athletics following her graduation in 2017. She worked as the assistant Women’s Lacrosse coach for three years at Trinity before transitioning to the Millbrook School in New York where she worked as an assistant Athletic Director and coached soccer and lacrosse. She moved on to coach lacrosse at the University of Massachusetts Amherst where the team won the A10 Championship and has now returned to Trinity to coach women's lacrosse.

 

“I am back where I started and where we met with Matt now as my husband,” said Avery.  “Life works in funny ways, but you have to trust the opportunities that come your way.”

 

Avery and Matt currently reside in West Hartford with their puppy, Maple. Avery is the assistant Women’s Lacrosse coach and the assistant director of athletic fundraising at Trinity College. Additionally, she is the recruiting coordinator for Nor'easter Lacrosse and the eighth-grade coach. Matt is the assistant coach for the Men's Hockey and Baseball teams at Trinity. Additionally, he serves as the manager of the New Britain Bee’s Baseball Team in the summer.

 

Avery is the niece of Makerspace teacher Ann Kohler and former faculty member Bud Kohler. Avery shared that she is still very close with her Hamden Hall friends with this year being particularly special as fellow 2013 alumnae Sofia Aschettino, Claire Brigham, and Sydney Doolittle, have all gotten married.

 

“It is so cool to not only go through pivotal moments at a young age together, but to enter this new chapter of life together has been so special,” said Avery.