Nela Lopušanová, a 16-year-old Slovakian hockey phenom, is making waves in the world of women's hockey. From scoring viral 'Michigan' goals to leading her country toward Olympics qualification, her talent and infectious joy on the ice have earned her recognition and admiration. This article explores her journey from a young girl in Slovakia dreaming of playing hockey in North America to a rising star poised to make history.
Nela Lopušanová rose to fame after scoring a viral lacrosse-style 'Michigan' goal at the Under-18 Women's World Championship two years ago. Her goal now is to lead her country to its first Olympic tournament berth since 2010, all while growing the sport in Slovakia and showing other female players in her country what is possible. Nela Lopušanová is a forward with the Bishop Kearney Selects program in Rochester, N.Y. She'll attend the University of Wisconsin next year. (Gene J.
Puskar/The Associated Press)Nela Lopušanová arrived in America in the fall of 2023 with a hockey bag, some clothes and a few essentials for her dorm room. Then just 15, Lopušanová came alone to her new country, where she was immersed in a new language and a new school far from home. It was a big move, but it's what the Slovakian teenager always wanted: to come to North America, get an education and keep developing as a hockey player. 'It was my biggest dream from little,' Lopušanová said in an interview with CBC Sports. She rose to fame after scoring a viral lacrosse-style 'Michigan' goal at the Under-18 Women's World Championship two years ago. She's since been named MVP of that tournament twice, the only player who's ever accomplished that. Now 16, Lopušanová is trying to lead her country to its first Olympic tournament berth since 2010, all with the goal of growing the sport in Slovakia and showing other female players in her country what is possible. Lopušanová came from Slovakia to New York to attend high school and play hockey with the Bishop Kearney Selects program in the fall of 2023. (Christina Colontino Photography/Bishop Kearney Selects)Her rise is a sign of how much the sport has grown internationally over the last few years. She now has a big platform to showcase her talent, beyond college and the Olympics. The PWHL aims to attract the best players from all over the world, and Lopušanová has the league in her sights. No one from Slovakia has played in the league yet. 'I would love to be the first one,' Lopušanová said. 'I'm going to work hard and in the future, I wish I'll be there.' A year and a half since coming to America, Lopušanová has settled in well at Bishop Kearney, a private school with an elite hockey program in Rochester, N.Y. Amazing Nela Lopušanová :📌 16 years old📌 1st official game with senior Team Slovakia 🇸🇰📌 Hat trick after 16 minutes of the game📌 4 goals / 5 points📌 And (once again) a Michigan goal 👇WOW !!! pic.twitter.com/Gu6OQWiHbAOff the ice, she's learned to play flag football, a sport that helps with her hockey speed. Earlier this year, the NFL's Buffalo Bills named her as its nominee for Girls National Flag Football Player of the Year. She likes to play pickleball and video games with her teammates, and even does a bit of cooking. Quesadillas are her specialty, though she said she misses her mother's cooking back home, and is looking forward to a visit from her family this year.'They're amazing people,' she said. 'They helped me and it was easy for me to live here.' On the ice, Lopušanová has dazzled everyone who's come to watch her play, whether they've seen her at the world championship or in Rochester with Bishop Kearney, where her exploits with the puck have earned her many fans. You may have seen Lopušanová's infamous 'Michigan' goal at the 2023 U18 worlds. She learned how to do it from watching YouTube videos. She decided to try it in a game after her father challenged her to score a 'Michigan' goal at the tournament.Lopušanová mastered scoring a lacrosse-style 'Michigan' goal by watching videos on the Internet. Her father challenged her to try one at the Under-18 Women's World Championship. That goal, scored when she was 14, went viral. (Gene J. Puskar/The Associated Press) She scored another highlight-teel 'Michigan' goal, this time with Slovakia's senior team, at an Olympic qualifying tournament in December.Lopušanová describes herself as a playmaker who loves to set up her teammates. That's exactly what she did at the U18 tournament in Finland this year. She earned six assists and was involved in all but three of Slovakia's goals, finishing with 11 points in five games. 'Her goal is to give her teammates empty net looks, if she can captivate the goalie, captivate the attention of the opposition,' said Chelsea Walkland, who coaches the Bishop Kearney Selects' U19 team. 'You should just see her light up when her teammates score on something that she set up like that. It's pretty remarkable for a player of that calibre to be that humble and find that much joy in her play.'Canada gets revenge on Czechs, to battle U.S. for gold supremacy at women's U18 hockey worlds That sense of joy and playfulness has stuck with Lopušanová. She always looks like she's having a blast on the ice, like she's out on the pond at home, and never shies away from trying something new. 'She's an artist in a lot of ways,' Walkland sai
Nela Lopušanová Hockey Women's Hockey Slovakia Olympics Michigan Goal Bishop Kearney Selects PWHL
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