Persenico goes back-to-back as Heart Offensive Player of the Week

KANSAS CITY, Mo. - Coming off of a career week leading to both conference and national honors, Clarke University men's soccer senior forward Luke Persenico produced another highlight week on his way to his second-straight Heart Offensive Player of the Week selection of 2024.

Persenico found the scoresheet in five of the nine goals the Pride scored in their two games last week with a pair of two goals games and added an assist to finish with nine points on the week.

In last Tuesday's 3-3 draw against William Woods, Persenico would score a pair of equalizing goals in each half, first winning a one-on-one situation against the Owls' keeper then the second half goal came on Persenico's third penalty kick goal of the year.

Back in Heart play on Saturday against Graceland, the two teams would play in a back-and-forth, high scoring, affair with Persenico scoring the third goal of the game as CU would take an early 4-0 lead as that goal would be the St. Charles, Ill. native's 41st goal of his career to become the school's all-time leading goal scorer.

In the second half, now with the score at 4-3 Clarke, Persenico would be on the ball in an advantagous rush, sliding it over to Eikichi Saito for a wide open goal to give the Pride a two-goal lead at 5-3. 

In the final minute of the game with the game back at a one-goal margin, Persenico would put the game on ice with his second goal of the game, getting in behind the defense and beating the Yellowjackets keeper in another one-on-one situation.

Scoring nine goals in his last four games, Persenico is currently tied for third place in the NAIA with 15 goals on the season, just one behind the two leaders tied for first place with 16, as Persenico also has a five-goal lead in the Heart goal scoring race.

Clarke men's soccer will only play one game this week when they travel to Atchison, Kan. for a Friday night matchup against Benedictine College when the Pride and Ravens kick off at 7:30 p.m. CT.