(PEORIA, ILLINOIS) — Luke Persenico’s 2 goals give Peoria the edge over St. Louis.
The 2025 home opener for Peoria City’s USL League Two side saw plenty of action before and during the match.
For the second year in a row, Peoria City partnered with Germantown Hills Athletic Association Fire & Rec for first responders appreciation night, offering all local first responders and their families free access to Saturday’s game.
The Peoria Police Department brought out the Bearcat armored vehicle, a motorcycle and other vehicles alongside a t-shirt cannon, sending t-shirts to the fans during halftime. The Peoria Fire Department also brought out a fire engine, letting part of their staff see the Peoria City home opener match at Shea Stadium.
This was the second meeting between Peoria City and FC Ambush. The first being an away game for PC just one week prior, where the Carp would earn a 2-1 victory over St. Louis.
In similar fashion to the season opener, Peoria City would start the scoring in the first half, when Bradley teammates Charlie Dickerson and DJ Koulai would connect for the go-ahead goal. Dickerson would receive a through pass from Josh Reddy (Clarke University), crossing the ball into the box to find Koulai. Koulai would flick the ball over the keeper’s head, putting the Carp up 1-0 in the 15th minute.
In first half added time, the Ambush would tack on their first and only goal of the night, leaving us tied 1-1 heading into halftime.
It didn’t take Peoria to get back onto the board in the second half. 2024 Heartland Division player of the year Luke Persenico is putting the League on notice once again. Persenico would steal the ball from the Ambush, avoiding a second Ambush player before sniping in the Carp’s second goal in the 47th minute. The goal would go unassisted.
20 minutes later in the 67th minute, Persenico would find the back of the net once again. DJ Koulai would dribble into the box, laying it off for Henrik Boer (Western Michigan University) who saw his first Peoria City minutes on Saturday. Henrik would head straight towards the defender, making a move to the left and sending it into the middle, just to be found by a Luke Persenico rocket.
This would end the scoring for the night, giving the Carp a 3-1 victory over St. Louis. The Carp are now 2-0-0 on the season.
Luke Persenico was given the Prairie Home Alliance Man of the Match nod by Head Coach Mike Paye.
Peoria City’s USL League Two side goes on the road for the next two matches. On Saturday, May 24 the Carp head to Kansas City, Missouri to take on Santa Fe Wanderers, a newcomer into USL League Two. The Wanderers lost their first match of the season 1-3 against Des Moines Menace. The Carp will see a 4:00 p.m. Central time kick-off in KC.
Just one week later, on Saturday, May 31, Peoria heads to Springfield FC in Springfield, Illinois for the two squads’ first matchup of the season.
Peoria met Springfield twice in the summer of 2024 for the inaugural Lincoln Cup, before Springfield joined USL League Two.
In the Carp’s first matchup, it was a resounding 10-0 defeat over the visiting Springfield squad. Peoria would go on to win the Lincoln Cup due to goal differential.
Peoria’s WPSL side hosts its home opener this upcoming weekend on Saturday, May 24.
Peoria hosts St. Louis-based Lou Fusz Athletic at Shea Stadium for a 7:00 p.m. kick-off.
Ticket bundles and single-game tickets can be found here!
#UpTheCarp
