Nela Lopušanová is a 15-year-old who moved from Sweden to Rochester to play girls' hockey for the BK Selects at Bishop Kearney High School.

“The life in America,” Lopušanová said. “It was always my dream to move here and play hockey and do school. So I am so happy.”

One of her coaches, Cari Coen, says she’s young, brave and full of opportunity. 

“When you’re relating to men’s hockey, a Patrick Kane, or a [Sidney] Crosby, where the ability and her IQ is very, very advanced for her age,” Coen said. “And we’re super excited to continue to build that, and obviously we learn from everyone. So it’s been exciting learning from her, but also learning from the other players that are going through our program.” 

Although her family is back home, overseas, she still finds fans here, in Rochester. 

“It pushes me to do a better job,” Lopušanová said. “Like, so many girls came to me and they want a photo and just talking about hockey. I have a lot of little girls [who] tell me they’re looking to me, they’re watching me. It’s an incredible feeling and pushes me to do a better job. When they come, I want to score for them. I want to play better. So of course they’re pushing. That is amazing.”

Coen says she’s equally as impressed at the impression her player has had on herself, the community, and the team. 

“To have young girls come up and ask her questions and kind of look up to her [is great],” Coen said. “[She’s] very similar to some of our other players. So it’s been really exciting to see that and the growth of the game of other players now trying certain moves that she’s trying to do. And it’s been fun. It’s more if you can see it, you can see It and that’s all we’re about is trying to help create more opportunities for the younger girls out there and even the boys that are kind of going through the ranks. It’s just more attention on women’s hockey, which is very important because some of these women are putting in crazy hours into their game and crafting what they’re working on to be the best players. So I think it’s just a trend of what we’re going to continue to see.”

Lopušanová credits much of her success to her biggest fans back home, and her new friends on the ice. 

“Just relationship with my teammates when I’m playing with them,” she said. “It is so funny. I play with girls I never thought that I would be playing with on the ice. It is so good.”

This is just the first step into building Lopušanová’s ice hockey career. 

“I want to go to college, and for sure I want to go to the Olympics. That’s my biggest goal,” Lopušanová said.

Coach Coen agrees and says the possibilities are endless. 

“She hands down will be a player that goes and plays division one hockey,” Coen said. “We’re super excited for that.”