Sophomore attacker Nicole Olszewski is burning up the playing field and lighting up the scoreboard this season for the UB women's soccer team. A native of the Buffalo suburb of Lancaster, N.Y., Olszewski has five goals and five assists this season for 15 points (two points are awarded for a goal in individual statistics, one for an assist), 10 points more than her closest teammate.
Olszewski, who receives a partial scholarship, is not concerned with individual glory.
"I'm more interested in excelling as a team, and whatever I can do individually to help. [To get to the NCAAs], that is our one main goal."
She may not worry about her accomplishments, but Olszewski played five years of varsity soccer at Lancaster, and has many to speak about.
"I made All-Western New York, and I was the leading scorer every year but my junior year."
Nicole chose to attend UB because of it's proximity to home, as well as prior experiences with Head Coach Jean-A Tassy on a travel team when she was younger.
"[UB] is close to home, it's a home away from home. I do dorm, I can go home whenever I want. I've grown up with Tassy coaching and I know what he's all about, and I just like his ways and everything."
Varsity sports have a tendency to take up a lot of time, but Olszewski somehow finds time to study.
"I've become pretty good at balancing [my schedule]. I will admit that last year, my freshman year, I did have a little trouble in balancing all different kinds of things I was doing. This year I've really come to terms with managing my time, prioritizing, you know, school comes first."
She went on to say that soccer plays a big role in her social life.
"Being part of the team is great, its like a whole family in itself, I'm enjoying every part of it. We pretty much do everything together."
Olszewski also played basketball in high school, earning all-star honors again, and performed well in the classroom.
"I was an 'A' student in high school. My overall average was like a 93 or something like that. I played sports all year round; I wasn't a troublemaker. [Sports] kind of keeps you occupied, and then all you want to do is go home and sleep."
During the off-season Olszewski stays involved in soccer by working at the Epic Center, a complex that houses indoor soccer on roller hockey leagues, and refereeing indoor soccer.
Like most sophomores, Olszewski is unsure of her plans after college.
"I plan on being a math teacher and I want to coach too, at the high school level, but I'm not sure. I mean things may happen where I have to move out of state; I'd like to move to the Carolinas, but I'm still young. I'm only 18."
Olzsewski did not want to be labeled with a math teacher stereotype.
"I'm just really good at it, it's not a matter of loving it."
