Luke Kopriva

JACKSON TWP — Luke Kopriva has been ahead of the game for some time.

The current Seneca Valley senior goalie accepted a scholarship offer to play in college before ever starting a varsity game for the Raiders' boys lacrosse team.

Now in his second year as a starter, his game continues to attract attention.

Kopriva was recently ranked as the fourth-best high school goalie in the state by rivals.com. That includes schools from eastern Pennsylvania that have fielded lacrosse programs for 40-plus years.

“It felt really good to be recognized like that,” said Kopriva. “I make a save and get the ball out to my teammates and they end up scoring at the other end. I love when I can make a shift in the tone of a game like that.”

In the summer before eighth grade, Kopriva played for a True Lacrosse team that played in and won a tournament in Maryland. His play led to his invitation to several prospect camps and his game progressed. He accepted a scholarship to Division II Belmont Abbey College, located near Charlotte, N.C., before his junior season at Seneca Valley.

“I played behind a great goalie, Brady Moze, through my sophomore year,” said Kopriva. “Already (verbally) committing to college, that gave me a lot of confidence as I took over as a starter.”

Ever since then, Kopriva has been the definition of reliable in front of the net for the Raiders, who have qualified for the upcoming WPIAL playoffs.

“He's got good size (5-foot-10) for a goalie,” said Seneca Valley coach David Hall. “He has quick reactions and as soon as the ball is out of somebody's stick he sees it.

“He doesn't fall for a lot of fakes and that is impressive to me. He's averaging (eight) saves per game, but we've had some games where he hasn't faced many shots. Earlier in the season, there was a stretch of four or five games when he averaged over 12 saves.”

The mental side of Kopriva's game is just as strong.

“It can be tough because lacrosse is a game of runs,” said Hall. “No goalie is going to make saves on 100 percent of shots, but Luke knows he can't do anything about the last shot. He knows it's important to focus on what he can do moving forward.”

“That's where I have made the most improvement,” said Kopriva. “My confidence has gotten a lot better. I know every time I step on the field, I have the ability to make saves.”

Kopriva played for Apex Lacrosse Club last summer, further honing his skills.

“We played in tournaments in Baltimore and Hershey,” he said. “The competition was really good and that experience helped me as a leader.”

The dedication to lacrosse has not affected Kopriva's performance in the classroom. He carries a 4.37 QPA and is a member of the National Honor Society.

“I take academics very seriously,” he said. “I plan on majoring in accounting in college.”