鈥淲hatever is going on in school, it doesn鈥檛 matter. Personal stuff just doesn鈥檛 matter as soon as I step on the field. 聽For those 90 minutes, I鈥檓 free and nobody can say anything to me.鈥�
(Mount Jackson, Va./Stonewall Jackson) is a junior transfer who has proven to be a great asset to the men鈥檚 soccer team. Dependable, dedicated and hardworking, Luna consistently shows passion for the game. His performance last week in games against Wesley and in a win over ODAC preseason favorite, Roanoke, earns him recognition as this week鈥檚 Royals Athlete of the Week.
鈥淲e hadn鈥檛 scored since Ferrum I believe, our last win. 聽I was in a scoring slump as well,鈥� he recalled. 鈥淚t puts a lot of pressure on me because every game my team is like, 鈥極kay Juan, you have to cash some checks tonight.鈥� 聽But I feel like that first goal against Wesley really opened the gates, and we鈥檙e just flowing with it now.鈥�
Against Wesley College on Sept. 29, Luna scored 91短视频’s first goal in four games. 聽Although the match resulted in a 4-1 loss, they would achieve a great win to make up for it. Three days later the men played Roanoke, last year鈥檚 conference regular season champions. Luna scored in the 40th minute against the Maroons, putting them up 1-0 and sealing the win for the team.
He noted that Roanoke hadn鈥檛 had an ODAC loss since 2013, which made the win even sweeter.
鈥淚t felt really nice (beating Roanoke) although the weather was horrible,鈥� Luna said. 鈥淲e have a really young team, about half of them are freshmen. There鈥檚 no substitute for experience, so every game we get a little bit better, and that鈥檚 the only thing we ask. Everyone is clicking, and during the Roanoke game we all put the pieces together and finally got a good result.鈥�
Luna lived in the city of Morol茅on in Guanajuato, Mexico, until he was seven years old. With a father who was a former professional soccer player, Juan learned his skills at a young age.
鈥淗e filled my brain with soccer since I was little,鈥� Juan said. 鈥淲hen I was a baby, the first thing my dad gave me was a soccer ball. He was definitely a big influence. When I was in Mexico, my dad put me in soccer academies, so I鈥檝e grown up with it. It has always been around me.鈥�
Luna played for an academy called Morelia, a common experience for Mexican youth.
鈥淗ere in the States soccer is nothing compared to what it is in Mexico,鈥� he pointed out. 鈥淚n Mexico, all they do is eat, breath, and sleep soccer. Here, soccer is a big part of the culture, but it鈥檚 nothing compared to Mexico. Regular kids, well, pretty much every kid that鈥檚 there goes to school, and as soon as they get out, they go to the soccer academy. 聽They go home, do homework, sleep, and start the cycle again.鈥�
His commitment has paid off.聽 Utilizing a high IQ of the game, he’s developed strong skills as a playmaker.
鈥淲hat I like about my play is I can find the gaps between people, which people normally wouldn鈥檛 see,鈥� Luna said. 鈥淚 can foresee a play that鈥檚 going to build up without the play even being there. 聽I can visualize it and that鈥檚 what really helps me to spread the ball and find other teammates.鈥�
Despite his love of soccer, it was not always his only sport. Luna started playing football his freshman year of high school. He eventually attended D-I James Madison University and was a kicker for the JMU football team.
Luna describes transferring to Eastern Mennonite as being one of the best decisions he has made. 鈥淚 like the community here more than at JMU,鈥� Luna explained. 聽鈥淓veryone here knows you and you鈥檙e not just another number.”
Luna, a Spanish major who is contemplating a career in law enforcement, also says he appreciates the availability of professors, especially coming from a larger school where he experienced bigger classes and less interaction with professors.
Academics are just as important to Luna as soccer is: his three goals for this academic year are raising his GPA, scoring 10 goals before the end of the season, and continuing to work hard in practice and games.