Enrique Serna, forward on the men’s soccer team, was named GLIAC offensive player of the week for PNW on Sept. 11.

Enrique was awarded for scoring goals against Illinois-Springfield and Quincy University on Sept. 6 and Sept. 8, respectively. He is the first offensive player to earn this honor since joining Division II.

Ryan Hayes, head coach, has worked with Serna for the past two seasons and said that he has a great first touch to link and build plays, paired with a great instinct for attacking the 18-yard box and knowing how to finish.

“It is a pleasure coaching Enrique. He works hard, he arrives early and is passionate about soccer,” Hayes said. “He is the type of guy that makes society better.”

Serna, who came to PNW from Majadahonda, Spain, said PNW’s soccer program and academic programs lead him to the university. Serna, sophomore, currently studies mechanical engineering.

With a grandfather who played professional soccer, Serna picked took cues from his family history and began playing when he was four. As there was no team for his age group, he started playing with six-year-olds.

“Since I was born, I have always loved to kick the ball with my feet and do incredible things with it,” Serna said.

“Not many sports use the feet [this way], so that is why I find soccer is sometimes challenging compared to the other sports. I also love being a part of a team that works together in order to achieve a goal.”

Serna believes that he manages school and soccer well because of his organizational skills. He continued that instead of hanging out with friends, he will often spend his free time studying in order to succeed in the classroom.

“I don’t really have a lot of free time,” said Serna. “Playing soccer motivates me to study and work hard for my classes. If you are motivated, you can deal with anything.”