Dana Trivigno (Matt Raney, NWHL)

Hometown: Setauket, NY

Profession: Hockey Player for the NWHL (Rookie season)

College: Boston College

Professional Team: Connecticut Whale

Favorite Female Athlete: Angela Ruggiero

Double G sports kicks off Women’s History Month with a profile on Long Island native Dana Trivigno.  Trivigno plays hockey for the Connecticut Whale of the National Women’s Hockey League (NWHL). We caught up with Trivigno prior to the All-Star Game about her hockey career.

We spoke to Dana Trivigno at her first professional All-Star Weekend.  As she prepared for the skills competition, the rookie for the Connecticut Whale said, “I’m supper excited!  These are a lot of my friends from other teams, so it’s nice to be able to play with them.” Hockey has always been fun for Trivigno, and that is something she is convinced has allowed her to be successful.

Before making her mark on the NWHL, Trivigno got her start on the ice through her preschool curriculum,  “two or three years old, I was on the ice, I was a little penguin out there,” said Trivigno.  She enjoyed skating and sought a way to continue.  She had to make a choice between hockey and figure skating. She chose hockey, “My dad was really into hockey, so he got me all the gear and had me start playing … I enjoyed it, I had fun.”

However, the fun didn’t stop there.  As a teenager, Trivigno went on to play at Shattuck St. Mary’s in Minnesota. The four year co-educational boarding school has been home to many prominent hockey players, many of whom Trivigno herself looked up to, “A couple of (players) here also went to (Shattuck) like Amanda Kessel and Brianna Decker. Those players are players that I looked up to, just because they were ahead of me a Shattuck. So, now being able to play with them is an awesome experience.”

In the past few years, Trivigno has also shared the ice with Decker and Kessel for Team USA.  She earned two gold medals at the International Ice Hockey Federation (IIHF) Women’s World Championships (2015, 2016). Trivigno also competed at the 2016 Four Nation Tournament and the December Champions Series against Team Canada.

(Matt Raney, NWHL)

At the conclusion of the NWHL season, Team USA will compete in the IIHF 2017 Women’s World Championships, then centralize in preparation for the 2018 Winter Olympic Games in PyeongChang, Korea.  While Trivigno earned a roster spot for all 2016 events, she knows competition will be tough for the Olympic team.  Last month at the NWHL All-Star Game Trivigno stated, “Every event, you have to continuously prove yourself.  I’m on someone’s heels, someone’s on my heels, so it’s important to just keep working hard, keep getting better.”

With that said, she does hope to find her way on the roster come next winter, “To be able to put on an Olympic jersey and represent my country with all the best athletes in the world would be an unbelievable experience. I’m going to do everything I can to try and get there.” Trivigno is currently with Team USA for training camp, but will continue to improve by playing with and against Team USA players in the NWHL.

In Connecticut, she is paired with Kelli Stack, Zoe Hickel and Haley Skarupa of the national team. The Whale recently ended an eight game skid by defeating the Buffalo Beauts 4-2.  Trivigno faced up against USA defensemen Emily Pfalzer and Megan Bozek as the Whale moved closer to third place.

With only four teams in the league, Connecticut will make the playoffs.  However, securing third place ensures the Whale will not meet the undefeated Boston Pride in the first round.  Seven Team USA players compete for Boston, including Shattuck alumna Brianna Decker.

Trivigno and the Whale will have the coming week off before they host the Buffalo Beauts on Sunday, March 12 at the Northford Ice Pavilion.