Pride offense keeps it rolling in 3-3 draw against William Woods

DUBUQUE, Iowa - Coming off of a 12-goal week, the Clarke University men's soccer team added three more in their last non-conference game of 2024 with a 3-3 draw over RV William Woods University on Tuesday night at Burrows Field.

The first goal of the game was scored in the sixth minute by WWU as they earned a corner kick where Nico Martinez Labra would deliver a ball into the box where the head of Omar Murillo would connect and score far post to make it 1-0 early for the Owls.

The next two goals were scored in quick succession as Hector Medrano would find an equalizer from Alonso Campos this time on a CU corner kick for Medrano's sixth goal of the season but that would be a short lived tie as Charlie Williams would head a ball that looked off the post but the assistant referee on the sideline would call the ball over the goal line to give William Woods a one-goal lead again at 2-1.

Medrano would play a part of the next Pride equalizer as Clarke's second-leading scorer would find the leading scorer of Luke Persenico open in the middle of the field where the reigning NAIA Offensive Player of the Week would dribble around William Woods goalkeeper Matthew Dworak and fire the ball into the back of the net to make it 2-2 for Persenico's 12th goal of the season, setting a new career-high for goals in a season for the senior.

The game would remain at that 2-2 draw until the halftime break and well into the second half when Murillo would strike again in the 63rd minute when the Owls would draw a foul in the box for a penalty kick for Murillo to beat Philipp Kohle inside the right post for another one-goal lead for WWU.

Another penalty would give the Pride yet another chance to equalize as a CU player was taken down in the box following a corner kick for Persenico to step to the spot this time and slide a ball to his left to beat Dworak and tie the game for the third time at its eventual final of 3-3.

Now at 13 goals on the season, Persenico now sits at 40 goals in his four-year career at Clarke, tying Dino Ramic for the most goals scored in a career as a member of the Clarke men's soccer team as the St. Charles, Ill. native moves into a tie for fifth in the NAIA with those 13 goals, just three behind the leader, Tavar Lawrence of Talladega College, and is now has a three-goal lead in the Heart of America Athletic Conference in goals scored.

Pride men's soccer will get back to Heart play this weekend when they host Graceland University for a 5:30 p.m. CT kickoff against the Yellowjackets at Burrows Field on Oct. 12.