Persenico earns NAIA and Heart Offensive Player of the Week amid Pride's offensive outburst

KANSAS CITY, Mo. - As the Clarke University men's soccer team scored 12 goals in two games last week, senior forward Luke Persenico, who scored five of those 12 goals, reaps the benefits as the Heart Offensive Player of the Week, Heart officials announced on Monday afternoon.

UPDATE ON OCT. 8

Persenico was also named the NAIA Offensive Player of the Week by Naitonal voters announced by the NAIA on the morning of Tuesday, Oct. 8.

Persenico scored a goal in his second-straight game in the Pride's 5-0 win at Culver-Stockton College on Wednesday night then would follow that up by setting a new career-high with four goals in CU's 7-2 home win over No. 25 Baker on Saturday night.

That four-goal game is the first hat trick or better for Persenico since his freshman season of 2021, when he had two hat tricks in the same week that would lead to his last NAIA and Heart Offensive Player of the Week win where he earned those honors Sept. 6 and Sept. 7 2021.

Last week's five goals puts the St. Charles, Ill. native at 11 goals in just nine games on the season, matching his career-high for goals in a season set in his sophomore year of 2022 when he finished that season with 11 goals in 15 games played.

With those 11 goals, Persenico currently sits tied for ninth in the entire NAIA for goals this season and leads the Heart in both goals and points (25) in at least two less games than anyone else in the top 10 of the Heart's leaderboard.

Getting back to .500 at 3-3 in conference play following those two wins last week, Clarke men's soccer currently holds the sixth place position in the Heart standings as CU looks to return to the Heart Tournament after making their first appearance in 2022 and missing out in 2023.

The Pride will begin this week with a non-conference matchup against William Woods University with a 6:30 p.m. CT scheduled kickoff against the Owls at Burrows Field.