She won because she's a go-to shooter on an NCAA Division I basketball team - something she never expected when she graduated from Missoula Sentinel in 2004. She won because she finally made it to Dahlberg Arena as a college player, even if it meant playing opposite the team she adored as a grade-schooler.
“It's weird playing against the Lady Griz because when I was little I always wanted to be on that team,” said Koppen, a senior co-captain for Idaho. “I guess I did the next best thing getting to play them.
For one memorable night, Lindsey can say she was the center of athletic attention in the Koppen family. That's no easy task because her cousin, Dan Koppen, is the starting center for the New England Patriots.
“Everybody at school knows Dan is my cousin because I brag about it all the time and wear my Patriots gear,” Lindsey said. “I get a lot of crap. Last week I was giving everybody else crap because of what happened against the Steelers.
“(Dan) has invited us to his wedding in April and we're all going to try to go over there (to Rhode Island). I'm sure it will be a closed wedding because Tom Brady is one of my cousins' best friends and he might be there. That would be exciting.”
Like Lindsey's love of the Patriots - several of her teammates have become ardent New England fans because she continually talks about the team - the 5-foot-9 wing is equally passionate about her final season of college basketball.
Don't try to tell her playing on an 0-10 team is hardcourt hell. She's determined to stay positive through the tough times.
“The record is something we're trying to look past because we have seven freshmen,” she noted. “We have the talent. It's just we're younger. Only one player on the team has more than two years of D-I experience.
“It's hard to start off like this, but I see improvement for us every game.”
Lindsey's optimism is likely a by-product of her path to major college basketball. You tend to appreciate something more when you earn it the hard way.
“Becoming a D-I player was always something I wanted - a dream that came true,” said Lindsey, who scored a season-high 14 points last week in a game against Portland State. “But going JUCO first was one of the best decisions of my life because it gave me two years of experience that I needed.”
Lindsey was noticed by the Vandals in the 2005-06 season when she averaged 10.8 points per game as a sophomore at North Idaho. That season set the stage for her first at Idaho, where she finished as the third-best 3-point shooter in the Western Athletic Conference (.343 average).
Now it's up to Lindsey and two other Idaho seniors to lay a foundation for the future.
“Shooting is something I need to do well for this team,” said Koppen, who overcame a severe ankle injury to lead Sentinel's girls' basketball team to a third-place finish at state in 2003-04. “But I don't like to put pressure on myself.”
Koppen's message to aspiring girls' basketball players in western Montana is clear: Never let your ego get in the way of your goals.
“If you want to play college basketball there's always someone who will take you if you're dedicated enough,” she said. “You can't worry about the division. JUCO was two of the best years I ever had. You can move up from there, make it happen with a lot of practice.”
When Lindsey graduates in the spring, she'll turn her attention to her next goal, working in television or movie production. With her unshakable optimism and willingness to pay her dues, chances are you'll be seeing her name in credits before long.
Columnist Bill Speltz can be reached at 523-5255 or at bill.speltz@lee.net.
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