Soccer took Kiski Area’s Lundberg to Duquesne, pros, now A-K hall of fame

By: Mark Nitowski
Saturday, April 22, 2023 | 5:25 PM

As a youngster, Stefan Lundberg gravitated toward the sport of soccer for a simple reason.

“T-ball was a little too slow-paced for me,” Lundberg said with a laugh. “Soccer is a fast game, and you have to keep moving. I picked it up pretty well and kept playing the rest of my life.”

Lundberg used his speed and skill on the soccer pitch to become a standout in high school, college and on the professional level. In recognition, the Kiski Area and Duquesne graduate will be among those welcomed into the Alle-Kiski Sports Hall of Fame on May 20 at the Pittsburgh Shrine Center in Harmar.

“I’m very honored because I know there are so many tremendous athletes through various sports in the hall,” Lundberg said. “I assume there aren’t a lot of soccer players in it, so that’s pretty cool.”

A 2007 Kiski Area graduate, the 5-foot-8 Lundberg was a dominant force at forward for the Cavaliers, particularly during his senior season.

“Going into that year, I got into weightlifting and I think that made a difference in my game in terms of being a complete player,” he said. “I became more of a force out there. … I scored 36 goals, which led the WPIAL. That’s still the Kiski single-season record.”

As a senior, Lundberg was named a National Soccer Coaches Association of America (NSCAA) All-American and the Valley News Dispatch player of the year. For his Kiski career, he was a two-time all-state selection and a three-time all-WPIAL pick. He also was a WPIAL track and field champion in the 400-meter run.

Lundberg accepted a full scholarship to play soccer at Duquesne, where he made the transition from forward to the midfield position.

“As a forward, your back is more to the goal and you’re holding the ball and spinning off (defenders),” he said. “I was definitely more comfortable receiving the ball out wide and facing the field as a winger. I still scored goals, but I also got a lot of assists that bridged the gap between forward and winger.”

Lundberg made an immediate impact with the Dukes, earning a spot on the Atlantic 10 all-rookie team in 2007. He went on to become a two-time all-region and all-conference pick and was named an academic All-American. He still is ranked in Duquesne’s top 10 in career goals (15) and points (40).

“Coming out of Duquesne, I had an agent and I was on the bubble to get drafted in the MSL (Major Soccer League) super draft,” Lundberg said. “I had tryouts lined up with (Sporting) Kansas City, D.C United and Columbus Crew in case I didn’t get drafted.”

On the second day of his Kansas City tryout, Lundberg suffered a fractured foot.

“I was playing so well, too, and it was just one of those unfortunate things,” he said. “There was no contact. I was just running. I must have had a stress fracture in the foot.”

However, Lundberg’s injury opened the door to an opportunity to play with the Pittsburgh Riverhounds of the USL Professional Division.

“They were gracious enough to bring me in for the preseason, even though I was still on crutches,” he said. “I slowly got back into it and was able to try out and made the team.”

From 2011-13, Lundberg played midfielder for the hometown Hounds.

“I made so many great friends, and it was also cool to play with a couple of kids who I grew up with,” said Lundberg, referring to Rich Costanzo (who played at Thomas Jefferson and Maryland) and Neil Shaffer (Beaver and Robert Morris).

After his third season, Lundberg decided to step away from the Riverhounds to join his brother, Nick, in managing Legends of Pittsburgh fitness and training center at the Pittsburgh Mills Mall. He continues to play soccer with the Tartan Devils in a men’s league.

“We opened Legends in 2013, and my first son was born. It seemed like a good time to transition over,” said Lundberg, who lives in Oakmont with his wife, Katie, and their four sons, Gunnar, 9, Gavin, 7, Landon, 5, and Griffin, 3.

At Legends, Lundberg spends most of his days training athletes in a variety of sports. Each summer, the Lundberg brothers return to their roots by holding a six-week camp for the boys and girls soccer teams at Kiski Area High School.

“We get to train a lot of athletes, but it’s a real blessing to be a part of the growth and development of Kiski soccer,” he said. “I’ve been training a lot of the players since they were seven or eight years old, and seeing them come through to high school is really special.”

If you go

52nd A-K Valley Sports Hall of Fame induction

7 p.m. Saturday, May 20

Pittsburgh Shrine Center, Harmar

Tickets: $40

Contact: Larry Lutz, 724-822-3695; Fred Soilis, 412-736-1809; Bill Heasley, 724-882-3079

Tags: Kiski Area