Pride pull away from No. 8 MidAmerica Nazarene for 4-1 Homecoming win

DUBUQUE, Iowa - Closing out Homecoming on a positive note for the second-straight year, the Clarke University men's soccer team earned a 4-1 victory over No. 8 MidAmerica Nazarene University.

The win give the Pride men's soccer program their first win over a top-10 ranked team since rejoining the NAIA in 2007 as CU is now undefeated against two of the three teams in the Heart currently ranked in the top-10 with a meeting with Missouri Valley still to come in a week.

Clarke got out to a 1-0 lead in the first half behind the seventh goal of the season from sophomore Luke Persenico in the 22nd minute as that 1-0 lead would hold until the halftime break.

Senior Patrick Asamoah extended the lead to a two-goal game in the 67th minute as he was able to volley a ball over MNU keeper Enzo Carvalho's head on a nice feed from Jose Gomez to make it 2-0.

That goal would end up being the game-winner as the Pioneers would cut into the lead with a 75th minute goal from Jony Munoz but Asamoah would provide another two-goal cushion with another aerial finish to make it 3-1.

Persenico would finish off the scoring in the 88th minute to push the score to its final of 4-1 and even had a chance for the hat trick with a penalty kick opportunity but Carvalho made a nice save to keep it at 4-1.

Clarke will head to the road for their next matchup on Wednesday, Oct. 5 against Culver-Stockton College before returning to Burrows Field in a week to host current No. 5 Missouri Valley College.