Persenico becomes all-time leading goal scorer as Pride survive Graceland comeback for 6-4 win

DUBUQUE, Iowa - Looking to continue a two-game winning streak in Heart of America Athletic Conference play, the Clarke University men's soccer team got off to a hot start but still had to stave off a comeback in a 6-4 over Graceland University on Saturday night at Burrows Field.

Scoring twice in the opening 10 minutes, Kenshin Yasujima and Carles Aparisi scored in the second and 10th minutes respectively to put CU up 2-0 as Yasujima was fed behind the defense by Alejandro Valverde to beat the GU goalkeeper, Miguel Roces, for the opening goal then Aparisi took a second ball off of a Joshua Reddy long throw in and ripped it into the back of the net for his first goal of the season.

Then the reigning Heart and NAIA Offensive Player of the Week, Luke Persenico would create another special moment during this senior season, scoring his 14th goal of the season to move his career total to 41 and becoming the program leader in career goals, passing Dino Ramic as the all-time leading goal scorer in Clarke men's soccer history.

The St. Charles, Ill. native would score his record breaking goal in a familiar way, getting the ball on the right wing and cutting into the middle to take a shot on his dominant left foot as his 28th-minute goal would give the Pride a 3-0 lead.

With a chance to add on to that record and the Clarke lead after CU would draw a penalty kick, Persenico would step to the spot but get saved by Roces but Alvaro Martinez was on the ready to collect the rebound and score his second goal of the season less than a minute after Persenico's goal to make it 4-0 Pride in under 29 minutes of action in the first half.

As the game was far from over, Graceland would strike back in the 34th minute with Dani Amez getting the Yellowjackets on the board, starting a string of three-straight GU goals as Ashton Adrian and Tyler Dailey added 36th and 42nd minute goals to make it just a one-goal game at halftime at 4-3.

The Pride would score all three goals in the second half, unfortunately one in their own net in the form of an own goal in the 76th minute but not before Eikichi Saito was the beneficiary of a Persenico assist to a wide open net in the 65th minute to make it 5-3 as Persenico would put the game on ice with 13 seconds remaining as a Philipp Kohle punt was flicked off of the head of Martinez to spring Persenico alone against Roces for his second of the game, 15th of the season, and 42nd of his career. 

Those 15 goals place Persenico in a tie for 2nd now in the entire NAIA for goals on the season and also puts the senior forward two goals away from tying the Clarke school record for goals in a season with four games remaining in the regular season.

Clarke men's soccer will play next on the road when they travel to Benedictine College on Friday, Oct. 18 in Atchison, Kan. for a 7:30 p.m. CT scheduled kickoff between the Pride and Ravens.