Matilde Fantin (front) basked in the adulation. © APA/afp / JULIEN DE ROSA

Italy's historic victory: "Can hardly believe it"

Even before the Olympic Games in Milan and Cortina d'Ampezzo are officially opened on Friday, there was the first highlight: Italy's women's ice hockey team celebrated a historic victory against France, which makes you want more.

February 05, 2026

From: leo

The Santa Giulia Arena in Milan had been a major concern for organizers in recent months. Would it be finished in time, many wondered. The answer came on Thursday afternoon, when the stadium, packed with 9.300 fans, provided the perfect setting for a true ice hockey festival. The stars of the show were the formidable Italian women's team, who France were deservedly beaten 4:1. It was the first Italian victory in women's ice hockey in the history of the Olympic Games.

Before the game, Anna Caumo and her teammates fancied their chances against the supposedly weakest opponent in the group. However, no one expected the match to be such a one-sided affair. Eric Bouchard's team dominated completely, taking three times as many shots (46:15) and could have easily won by a much larger margin. Ultimately, though, what mattered were the three points.

The stadium shakes

“This victory is filled with emotion, but we always believed we could start the tournament like this,” said captain Nadia Mattivi after the game, who shone as the provider of the assist for Kayla Tutino’s 1-1 equalizer. “It’s the reward for all the hard work. Winning in front of this crowd is fantastic. It’s like having a seventh player on the ice with us. Even during warm-ups, it propelled us forward.” Mattivi, however, remains grounded, because “there are more tough games ahead. Now we’re hitting the reset button and staying focused,” said the 25-year-old.

Nadia Mattivi and Italy celebrated a resounding victory. © APA/afp / JULIEN DE ROSA

One of the standout players for the Azzurre was the 19-year-old Matilde Fantin, who was on the ice for almost 26 (!) minutes. "We reacted well to falling behind, stayed calm, and continued to play our game because we were prepared for this situation – there was a clear game plan." The moment of her spectacular goal to make it 3-1 was incredible. "I still can hardly grasp what exactly happened, especially because of the amazing atmosphere in the arena. I expected a lot of fans, but I couldn't have imagined such a crowd even in my wildest dreams. We've worked towards this moment for a very long time."

Italy has only one day off before their next match on Saturday. The Azzurre will then face Sweden, who beat Germany 4-1 in their opening game. Kick-off at the Santa Giulia Arena is again at 2:40 pm.