The Michigan women’s hockey team has been at the forefront of recent discussions surrounding women’s collegiate hockey due to its non-varsity status and the looming results of the feasibility study on making it a varsity sport. With Wolverines hockey alum Jenna Trubiano at the helm putting in an exorbitant amount of time and effort, she has helped give women’s hockey a place at the table.
And not only is she putting women’s hockey on the map in Michigan, but she now has a chance to do so on the world stage.
On Thursday, July 25th, the ACHA announced that Trubiano was selected as an assistant coach for Team USA at the 2025 World University Games in Italy in January. Every two years, a selection of countries compete with rosters made up of current collegiate athletes competing in the NCAA and ACHA conferences.
“I am extremely honored to represent the University of Michigan and the United States of America on the international stage at the 2025 World University Games in Torino, Italy,” Trubiano said in a statement to The Michigan Daily. “I look forward to learning from Coach Lindsey Ellis’s leadership and am excited to bring my passion and enthusiasm to Team USA.”
Team USA head coach Lindsey Ellis started the women’s hockey program at Arizona State University in 2016 from the ground up and is now revered as one of the best coaches in the country. Ellis and Trubiano are well acquainted with each other and have known each other since they were in college, respecting their counterparts game and coaching styles as their careers have progressed.
“Going to the national coaching meetings … we kind of gravitated towards each other,” Trubiano said. “I respect her as a player, coach and friend. … I think she’s going to be the best representative for the ACHA women at the international level for the world university games, so I’m super excited to work with her.”
Since joining the games in 2011, Team USA has brought back two bronze medals — one in 2013 and one in 2017. Although Team USA doesn’t have a highly decorated history at the World University Games, Ellis and Trubiano are hoping to turn that streak around.
The roster of Team USA is still being finalized, as players must be nominated and selected to represent their country. That being said, Trubiano has a strong Wolverine roster, and it’s possible some of her players will join her in Italy.
“I love learning and I love taking on new challenges,” Trubiano said. “ … I’m excited for the opportunity to help grow this program in 2025 in Torino and hopefully in the future too. The goal is to bring home a medal, and I feel really confident with Lindsey leading the way and the American players in the ACHA that we have, that we’re going to have a great opportunity to do so.”
Since taking over the Michigan women’s hockey team three years ago, Trubiano has demonstrated that she does not back down from a challenge. With the lack of funding from the university for her program, she has worked extremely hard to gain sponsorships and fight for women’s hockey to gain the respect it deserves.
And now, she’s finally receiving her flowers for it on the international scale.
With the combination of Ellis and Trubiano at the helm, a pair who have fought and worked tirelessly to bring their programs to the level they are now, it’s possible Team USA will be lethal in Italy.
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