Wissahickon’s Kropnick a goal-scoring machine
LOWER GWYNEDD – In the realm of soccer — football for those outside the U.S. — there has always been an affection by fanatics and pundits alike for the quintessential goal scorer.
Pele, Eusebio, Ronaldo, Maradona, Messi, Cristiano Ronaldo, are just a few names that come to mind.
And in this area — particularly Suburban One League American pitches — no player has been more transcendent over the last four seasons than Cole Kropnick, Wissahickon’s senior midfielder/forward.
The dude can just straight up ball.
Take, for instance, the Trojans’ road win over league opponent Norristown on Thursday. Not only did Kropnick score all the goals for his team, he went quadruple on the Eagles — scoring twice from penalty kicks — as Wissahickon rolled to a 4-0 win.
The four goals pushed Kropnick’s finishes to an unprecedented 18 this season, as the striker made it known he set a mark for goals he wanted to score at the beginning of the year.
“The start of the year my goal was to put in 20, so I’m at 18 now,’ Kropnick said after the victory over Norristown. “Hopefully I can get there and maybe get some more.’
If the 18 tallies weren’t impressive enough, take Kropnick’s goal records over his previous three seasons, where he increased his potency year after year.
As a freshman, Wissahickon’s main man started his career on campus with two goals, then followed that number up with 10 during his sophomore year.
Last year, Kropnick scored 16 times, and has now eclipsed his previous best with two games in hand after the Trojans defeated Upper Dublin Monday at home on Senior Night, 3-0, with Kropnick adding a goal.
“I just look to find the ball in dangerous areas, and try to set my teammates up the best they can to feed me through,’ Kropnick said of his uncanny ability to get to the net. “They’ve been doing a good job on that, so I’ve just been finishing the chances they’ve been giving me.’
Kropnick, like many elite players, has rounded his game by playing nonstop, particularly while participating for club team Montgomery United. Getting experience year round is an important asset in a sport like soccer as players perfect their craft.
“It definitely helps getting a touch on the ball year round because I’m always active, always getting touches on the ball,’ Kropnick said. “I mean, you can’t get worse from getting touches on the ball.’
And when his storied career as a Trojan comes to a close, Kropnick, who says he will remain focused on just soccer this year despite playing baseball in previous years, has aspirations to play on the college level and beyond. Right now, it seems that Kropnick will be taking his talents to West Chester University.
But, there’s still a season to conclude.
As Kropnick continues to stuff the stat sheet with goals, Wissahickon will rely on the star player for another team goal — a shot at the conference title — the Trojans sit a game back of SOL American leaders Plymouth Whitemarsh — and a deep run in the district playoffs.
“The past two years we’ve lost in PKs (a 10-9 loss to CB East in 2012 and 5-4 loss to eventual champions Great Valley last season) and haven’t let up a goal in playoffs yet the past two years,’ Kropnick said. “I think we’ve had the chances to go far and I think this year we can put it together.’
