‘Nobody believed in us’: Italy carves surprising path to women’s Olympic hockey quarterfinal
“Shock the world.”
That was what Italy defender Laura Fortino told the media that the women’s hockey team wanted to do at the 2026 Winter Olympics. Yet, leading up to the tournament, few could’ve expected it to happen.
However, with a 3-2 win over Japan on Monday, Azzurre did just that, securing a spot in the Olympic quarterfinals for the first time in the team’s history.
“This is exactly what we meant, nobody believed in us, the only people that believed were the people in that room,” Laura Fortino on helping Italy secure a spot in the QF. The Italians said they wanted to “shock the world,” before the #MilanoCortina2026 #Olympics started.
“This is exactly what we meant,” Fortino said after the victory. “Nobody believed in us. The only people that believed were the people in that room.”
The win over Japan was the home team’s second of the tournament. It picked up its first-ever victory on the opening day of competition, a 4-1 win over France. Italy was served some humble pie in its next game, though there were moments the team showed they could compete with Sweden, despite losing 6-1.
Italy’s performance in Milan is far from what happened the first time the team competed at the Winter Games. 20 years ago in Turin, the country was bombarded in a group that featured Canada and Sweden, the two teams that later met in the gold medal game. Italy scored just one goal in three group stage games, going 0-5 overall after the consolation games, finishing with a goal differential of -45.
The country has seen steady growth in the women’s game since then. While they’ve never competed in the top division of the IIHF Women’s World Championship, the country has churned out talented players who have flourished in both North America and Europe. Players like captain Nadia Mattivi, who was a captain at Boston University and is the reigning defender of the year in the SDHL, Sweden’s top pro league.
Matilde Fantin, who scored twice against Japan, is shining in her freshman season at Penn State University, playing on a team that features Team USA standout Tessa Janecke. Other names like Franziska Stocker, Rebecca Roccella and Laura Lobis came up through the ranks in Italy before branching out and performing at high levels in Sweden and Switzerland.
This is Fortino’s first Olympic experience with the Italian team, but this isn’t her first rodeo at the Winter Games. The Hamilton, Ont. native helped Canada win gold at the 2014 Sochi Olympics, famously feeding Marie-Philip Poulin for the Golden Goal against the United States. She was also on the Canadian team that was awarded the silver four years later in PyeongChang.
Even as she has reached some of the highest heights in international hockey, Fortino pointed out that what she has accomplished with her current team is special.
“I’m a little bit speechless at the moment,” Fortino said. “It’s a totally different experience for me, a very special one and I’ve loved every moment.”
Fortino is one of a handful of players who have earned eligibility to play for Italy at these games. Kristin Della Rovere, Kayla Tutino and Gabriella Durante are others who have followed their family lineage to have a chance to play on the biggest stage in sports.
Yet, even with the added talent from across the ocean, few could’ve expected Italy to make it past the preliminary round. Winning a game? Sure. Taking down a country that has been a mainstay at the Olympics and top division at the Women’s Worlds? Not quite on everyone’s bingo card.
While Azzurre might end up facing the United States or Canada in the quarterfinals later this week, there’s no question – the experience these athletes have had, and the excitement and joy they have brought to the home faithful – this will be a moment that will go down as one of the country’s greatest sporting accomplishments.
“We’ve inspired Italy in general, the country,” Fortino said. “The support we have had is unbelievable. You can feel it every time we hit the ice. … I hope every little girl is watching and looking up at us and saying, ‘Wow, I want to be that one day’. That is something to take pride in – being a role model for younger generations. Each and every one of us is doing that.”