Utica University Athletics

Joann Zazula was hired in the Winter of 2021 as an assistant athletic trainer.  She serves as the primary athletic trainer for the softball, women’s ice hockey, and men’s soccer teams, as well as assists with all 26 of the University’s Division III sports programs.

Zazula has helped cover many successful teams at Utica, including numerous Empire 8 and UCHC Championship Final participants, such as the women's hockey team in 2023, 2024, and 2025, the men's soccer team in 2022, and the women's lacrosse team in 2024. 

Zazula comes to Utica from Alvernia University, where she worked in the athletic training office for over two years. She was the assistant athletic trainer for two years, from 2018 to 2020, and then served as interim head athletic trainer from August 2020 until she arrived at Utica. At Alvernia, she helped cover the Alvernia women's hockey team during its inaugural campaign. She was also a graduate assistant at East Stroudsburg University in the 2017-18 academic year, during which she covered ESU's men's basketball team as they made school history by reaching the NCAA Division II Elite Eight. 

She is an active member of the National Athletic Trainers’ Association (NATA). 

Zazula attended East Stroudsburg University for both her undergraduate and graduate studies. She received her Bachelor of Science degree in athletic training in May 2017 and obtained her Master of Science degree in the same discipline in August 2018.

She graduated from Delaware Valley High School in 2012. During her time at Delaware Valley, she lettered in swimming during all four years of high school.