Kopenits thought his season was over, instead he helped Conwell-Egan advance
LEVITTOWN — Logan Kopenits took the pitch for his first state tournament game Tuesday night. But for the Conwell-Egan senior midfielder, it was just another day at the office.
“Honestly, I was just looking at it like any other game,” he said. “Going in kind of locked in. It’s all new for me.”
Kopenits scored a goal and assisted on another, while also wearing the captain’s armband, helping the Eagles to a 4-2 win over Allentown Central Catholic in a PIAA Class 2A first-round game Tuesday night at Truman High.
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That Kopenits was on the pitch at all was an achievement in its own right. He suffered a broken hip in Conwell-Egan’s season opener against George School and didn’t return until Senior Day against Bensalem on October 8.
“I’m just trying to make every minute count,” he said.
In the aftermath of his injury, Kopenits thought his high-school soccer career had come to an end.
“When I went down and the doctor told me I was going to be out, I thought my season was over,” he said. "I didn’t think there was any shot of me ever coming back on the field this season.”
Kopenits made presence felt early on during Tuesday's playoff game. His early goal gave the Eagles their first lead of the game, and Liam Mullen then scored from the center of the box to give his team a two-goal advantage before the game was even 10 minutes old.
“I think it’s good that we came out and set the tone early,” Kopenits said. “We usually end up having slow starts and have to work our way back into the game. So, it’s good to come up with a good start.”
Kopenits assisted on Tyler Schmidt’s goal in the 46th minute. Jake Stewart scored the Eagles’ fourth goal in the 74th minute.
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Game Balls
• Kopenits was a driving force for the Eagles, scoring on goal and assisting on another.
• Tyler Schmidt’s efforts on throw ins gave the Eagles another weapon in the attacking third. One of his long throws led directly to a goal
What's Next
The Eagles (13-7-1) will face either Lewisburg or Dunmore in a quarterfinal game on Saturday, weather permitting.
They Said It
"The Catholic League is one of the best leagues, bar none in Eastern Pennsylvania. So, it really helped the boys prepare for hopefully what will be a little bit of a run here," Conwell-Egan coach Mike Rigney
This article originally appeared on Bucks County Courier Times: Conwell-Egan's Kopenits helps power playoff win
