As the regular season for Shippensburg’s men’s soccer team winds down, one of its biggest bright spots this season has been the play of junior forward Cole Kropnick. 

Kropnick led the team in goals with 10 this season. This has been a breakout season for Kropnick after he scored two goals in 2016.

Kropnick attributed a lot of his success this season to the work he put in over the offseason. “I made sure I got touches on the ball and made sure I ran every day,” Kropnick said. “I set some individual goals for myself as well, including how many goals I wanted to score. It was actually 10 so I achieved that and I hope I can make a little bit more.”

Success on the pitch is nothing new for Kropnick. At Wissahickon High School, Kropnick set the school record with 52 career goals. He also set the school record for single-season goals with 27 goals in 2014 as a senior.

“It means a lot,” Kropnick said on setting the records. “It means I’m very confident when I play. When I get out on the field, I want to make sure I’m better than the person next to me or the defender I’m going against.”

Kropnick’s stellar play has been noticed by the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference as well. On Oct. 9, Cole Kropnick was named the PSAC’s Men’s Soccer Athlete of the Week. 

The award came a week after Kropnick scored two game-winning goals for Shippensburg, including an overtime winning goal at Bloomsburg on Oct. 4.

“It was a great feeling,” Kropnick said. “I felt accomplished, I felt proud to be on Shippensburg’s soccer team gaining that accomplishment because I know the last time someone won it was in 2013.” 

While Kropnick noted that individual accomplishments are great, he said he still wants to be a part of something bigger than himself. 

When asked if he had any goals for the 2018 season, he said his main goal is to help Shippensburg reach the playoffs. The last time the Shippensburg men’s soccer team made the playoffs was in 2013, when they made the PSAC quarterfinals. 

Of course, Kropnick wants to improve on his individual game as well. 

“An individual goal would be to score more goals and get more points than the previous year,” he said. I just want to keep improving myself and help benefit the team.” While improving on the already impressive season may be a challenge, it is definitely one that Kropnick is ready to take.

It is hard not to be excited about the future for Shippensburg men’s soccer. Even if they do not reach the playoffs this season, the team has shown a lot of improvement, with Kropnick leading the charge. 2018 should be an exciting season for Kropnick and the rest of the team.

Share