All Around the World: Olivia Popescu's Golden Journey

When Olivia Popescu '29 stepped onto the ice in Cape Town, South Africa, for the 2026 IIHF U18 Women’s World Championship (Division II, Group B), she was carrying more than just the expectations of a freshman athlete. Representing Romania as a "double underager" against older, more seasoned competitors, Olivia finished the tournament with 13 points, the fourth-most among skaters, while wearing the assistant captain's "A" on her jersey. Her performance helped propel her national team to a second consecutive gold medal and a promotion to the next division in 2027.

The journey to the top began with a grueling 40-hour travel schedule followed by a frustrating opening-game loss to Mexico. Despite doubling their opponents' shot output by a 32-16 margin, the goals wouldn't come. For Olivia, that moment of adversity became the turning point. She leaned into her leadership role to help rally the locker room, noting that the collective pressure to win eventually transformed the roster into a family. "The first game really motivated us," Olivia said. "There was a pressure to win this year, and that pressure just kind of made us a family."

While her success on the international stage is a testament to her talent, Olivia credits much of her development to her daily life at Nichols. Competing against older and stronger players at the girls' prep level gave her the physical and mental edge required to dominate in South Africa. "I play with girls a lot older than me here at Nichols," Olivia explained. "The girls that I play against in the tournament are also older, so this experience with the school team really helps a lot."

Beyond the rink, the life of a world-class student-athlete requires a delicate balance. Olivia was away from campus for nearly three weeks, and the transition from earning a gold medal to sitting in a classroom happened in the blink of an eye. She was back in her seat on campus just three days after winning gold. This transition was made possible by a supportive community. Her teachers provided the flexibility needed to stay on top of her studies, while Coach Stephanie Nadler followed every game from Buffalo. "Coach Steph kept checking up on me and texting me," Olivia noted. "I felt really supported by the fact that she and the girls here were watching my games and everything."

Now back on campus and tackling her schoolwork with the same discipline she shows on the ice, Olivia is already looking toward the challenge of playing in a higher division next year. She admits the hardest part of the transition is simply "doing the work" to catch up, but she remains a focused example of the Nichols spirit: a student who pursues excellence on a global stage while remaining deeply committed to her growth in the classroom.