Nela Lopušanová, Flag Football Star

If you're reading this, you're probably well familiar with Nela Lopušanová, the 16-year-old Slovakian ice hockey superstar who's committed to Wisconsin in 2026. Now, allow me to introduce you to Nela Lopušanová, the 17-year-old flag football star who's excelling as a multi-sport athlete at Bishop Kearney High School in Rochester, New York.

Lopušanová helped lead Bishop Kearney to a sectional title last year, becoming New York's first-ever champions following an undefeated season. They won the Class B2 championship with a 20-13 win over Gananda, and Lopušanová had a touchdown in the final. They also won the NYSPHSAA Division II state title with a 39-20 win over Sayville.

It was also Bishop Kearney's first varsity season for the program.

In 2024, the NFL's Buffalo Bills named Lopušanová as their nominee for Maxwell Football Club Girls Flag National Player of the Year. NFL clubs submitted nominations throughout the fall, making their selections from a large pool of candidates. Lopušanová was named a finalist on January 3. (Ava Wallace, nominated by the Houston Texas, was named the inaugural winner.)

Lopušanová discovered flag football when one of Bishop Kearney's players graduated, which left an opening on the team's roster. She decided to give it a shot, and quickly found that she enjoyed the new sport.

"I tried it, and I loved it," Lopušanová told The Ice Garden, noting that the speed of flag football also helps improve her speed on the ice. She also emphasized the importance of the friendships she's made by joining the team.

"The girls are amazing," she said. "We had a lot of fun last year."

Aside from the speed, there's plenty that Lopušanová can take away from flag football to also help her hockey skills.

"Seeing the game, and the tactics," she said. "We need to have a play and figure out everything... [you have to] think about it, about the game, a lot. Also, in the D-zone [defensive zone], you have to pull the flag, which is really hard. For me, it didn't really go well last year, but I'm trying to improve it for next year."

Stephanie Strassner, head coach of Bishop Kearney's flag football team, was presented with tickets to Super Bowl LIX on behalf of the Buffalo Bills after becoming the first female head coach to win a NYSPHSAA flag football state championship. The team also played an exhibition game at halftime during a Bills game in September.

In addition to playing flag football for Bishop Kearney, Lopušanová is also a member of the school's 19U hockey team, led by head coach Chelsea Walkland. There, she plays with a number of US national team players including Bella Fanale and Megan Healy.

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Earlier this year, she also recorded 11 points in five games for Slovakia at the 2025 IIHF Under-18 Women's World Championship and registered 18 points in six Olympic qualifying games. (Slovakia ultimately went 0-3 in the final qualification tournament for Group I, which saw Germany advance to the 2026 Winter Olympics.)