Marta Mazzocchi ’28 is a member of the Trinity College women’s ice hockey team, but she’s not competing as a Bantam this year; Mazzocchi is representing her home country of Italy on its women’s national ice hockey team at the 2026 Winter Olympics. The games will be held in Milan and Cortina d’Ampezzo, Italy, where the preliminary rounds of women’s ice hockey begin on February 5.
Originally from Aosta, Italy, Mazzocchi is majoring in engineering and minoring in architectural studies at Trinity, but is on leave this academic year to train and compete for Italy.
She said that competing in the Olympics is a dream come true. “Italians are very passionate and they give everything they have,” said Mazzocchi, who plays forward on the hockey team. She added that watching her team on the world stage might just inspire the next generation of young athletes. “Hopefully after the Olympics, we’re going to have many, many girls that want to try to play hockey to expand the sport in Italy,” she said.
Mazzocchi becomes the seventh Olympian in Trinity athletics history, and becomes the first member of the women’s ice hockey program on an Olympic roster.
Read more from Mazzocchi about her journey to the Olympics in the Q&A below:
What was your first exposure to ice hockey?
I started playing in Italy when I was 5 and a half or 6 years old. I started playing with my brother. He was 4, and my dad enrolled us in the team in our town because he used to play as a kid. My dad brought my brother and I to practice, and at first I didn’t like it. I didn’t like the idea of practicing every day and I didn’t like that the rink was cold! I actually stopped for a little bit, but saw how much my brother was having fun on the ice with his friends and I decided, I want to do this. Ever since then I never wanted to step off the ice rink again. It wasn’t love at first sight, but then it just clicked.
How did you decide to come to Trinity to play ice hockey?
I moved by myself to New Jersey in the U.S. when I was almost 18 to play hockey on a club ice hockey team. Trinity reached out to me and caught my eye because it is really good academically. I also really liked Coach Keith [Maurice, head women’s ice hockey coach at Trinity], and I actually never visited before I committed because I already knew a lot of girls on the team. I love the environment, and the fact that I already had friends on the team helped me a lot. The decision was pretty easy to make, to be honest.
What has it been like to play for Trinity?
North American hockey is very different from European hockey, so I had to adjust when I arrived because in Italy, we do not have as many girls at the same level of skill as in the U.S. Honestly, the environment at Trinity is so good. I love the team. My first year, I had incredible seniors and juniors, some of whom I am still in touch with. I was also able to play a lot my first and second years at Trinity, and being on a team helps with homesickness. This year while I’ve been away, my coaches have still reached out to see how I’m doing and have been super supportive of this experience. [Read more about her Trinity career here.]
How were you selected to play for Italy in the Olympics?
Italian hockey is so small and we don’t have a lot of players, so we all sort of know each other. The Italian hockey coaches watch you play while you grow up. I played four years of 18U hockey, which is where coaches were able to watch me. Many players on the team right now play abroad, and so the coaches are kind of trying to watch you and stay in the loop. This whole process started last May. At first we had 30 players on the roster and we went through some training camps to cut down the roster to 23 in the end.
What are you most looking forward to about this experience?
I think I am most excited to play on the team with two of my closest friends. I’ve known them for 10 years, and we grew up together. I am looking forward to having this opportunity to live this moment with them. We started a journey many, many years ago and I think for them, it’s the last year they’re going to play hockey, which makes this experience more special. We started from the very bottom and we’re finishing at the Olympics.
What has your training been like?
We trained in Canada because we have Canadian coaches, and we had more access to resources being there. That was the first time that we were all together for a month, because everyone is usually at their own club. Also, being there we were treated like professionals, which was a big jump for me. We only had to focus on hockey, so we normally began the day by going to the gym together. From there we went to lunch and then to the ice. So all we had to focus on was hockey, which can sometimes be hard, but it’s going to pay off in the end because this opportunity is special.
What does being an Olympian mean to you?
It’s the dream for every athlete; it doesn’t matter which sport. Every time I put on the blue jersey to play for Italy, it feels like the first time. I still get goose bumps. Playing on the biggest stage is such an honor. I can represent my country in front of so many people, and doing it at home in Italy is the best.
See the ice hockey schedule at the 2026 Winter Olympics here.
