Brooklyn Kohlheim knew who she needed to lean on when she was hired at Mercyhurst.
The new women’s basketball coach was looking for a leader to build around, and she saw Emily Shopene was the answer.
“Shopes is the heart and soul of the team,” said Kohlheim, who was hired in 2019. “She has done everything for us from the bottom up. You couldn’t ask for a better person to build a program around. She’s one of those players that does everything for you and more.”
Shopene has been a Mercyhurst student-athlete for almost a decade. After graduating from Mercyhurst Prep, she has spent five years next door at Mercyhurst University.
She was set to finish her college career Saturday as one of the all-time, all-around players in Mercyhurst University history.
“It’s a lot to take in when thinking about the past five years,” Shopene said. “It has been a great experience in all five years, and this was the team I always wanted to be with. I can’t say enough about the players on this team and how close we’ve been. We really want the best for everyone.”
Shopene started more than 100 career games for the Lakers and she scored 13 points Saturday in a 67-65 loss to Slippery Rock. That…
