Sunesson leads scoring on the pitch, sets tone off it for MSOC

Most kids get into a certain sport because of their parents' interests. For Marquette men's soccer's Lukas Sunesson, it was no different.

"My dad played soccer when he was young, so he's always been very soccer-interested my whole life," Sunesson said. "Where I grew up, soccer was by far the most popular sport for kids my age, so I just joined a team and tried a bunch of other sports as well. After a few years, soccer was the one that stuck with me."

As Sunesson grew up in Taby, Sweden, his soccer talent continued to grow, and he began to ponder his future academically and athletically.

"I was very keen to combining high-level school and high-level soccer, which is very difficult to do in Sweden," Sunesson said. "In the back of my mind as I was playing soccer there, I always had this option of going to the States and once I decided to do it, I was all-in."

Sunesson took part in a showcase event for American coaches, which is where he came on to Marquette head coach Louis Bennett's radar.

The forward made a trip to the United States to scout out his next move, taking visits to Boston College, UNC-Wilmington and Marquette.

Marquette associate head coach Sean Hughes recalls Sunesson's official visit as a disaster.

"The day he arrived was the worst snowstorm possible," Hughes said. "He'd arrived directly from Wilmington, where it was 70 degrees and close to the beach. He flew into O'Hare and was driven up to Milwaukee, where you couldn't see 10 feet in front of the car. I don't know what the sales pitch was, but it definitely worked."

Despite the atrocious weather, Sunesson decided he'd become a Golden Eagle, and the program has been changed as a result.

When he arrived, the transition to a foreign nation was "hard, but fun."

"It's been like a little adventure," Sunessson said. "What was most difficult in the beginning was the language, I didn't feel like I could be myself. I didn't feel as funny, I couldn't express myself in the same ways that I did back home in Sweden. I felt so weird and boring in the beginning because I didn't know how to say things or the social bit."

On the pitch, the 5-foot-11 striker has racked up plenty of accolades. He was the first Marquette player in program history to be named a Hermann Trophy Semifinalist for the top male collegiate player in the country.

The Swede is a multi-time all-BIG EAST honoree, a two-time team leading scorer and a spring season All-American.

Sunesson's prowess on the pitch is clear to everyone in the program, especially the teammates that play with him on a daily basis.

"He's a great player overall," redshirt junior midfielder Zyan Andrade said. "He's a physical player, he loves to get the contact and just be on players, making center backs make decisions and forcing their mistakes. In front of the goal, he's going to finish it."

From the coaching staff's perspective, Sunesson helps them in all facets of the game.

"With Lukas, there's a real intensity and tenacity. He has a competitive edge, always gives everything he has physically," Hughes said. "He has a massive impact on how we want to defend with his energy, and on the other end of the pitch when we're looking to score goals, he's the guy."

Even for a player as accomplished as Sunesson, there are still things to be worked on.

"He's not a complete finished product, he'll tell you that," Hughes said. "He still has to improve his finishing, the timing of his runs to the box. He's always going to be a good runner and be able to make runs for you, but it's the timing of the runs. His ability to finish in and outside the box is something he continues to work on for sure."

But even outside of his performance on the pitch, Sunesson has been a model member of the program throughout his four years.

"He's a guy that sets a tone," Hughes said. "He's everything that you ask for a person to embody, turning up every day with a positive attitude, a desire to work and improve, to do everything right in the classroom, socially he does the right things."

Even to teammates that are his age, Sunesson is a role model.

"I honestly think everyone looks up to him, I certainly do," Andrade said. "He's always putting in the extra work and leading by example, always being on top of things and being there for other players."

In line with Sunesson's desire to pursue a high level of academics and soccer, he'll be remaining at Marquette for a fifth year, utilizing the NCAA's COVID year granted universally to athletes.

After graduating a semester early with a double major in supply chain management and international business, Sunesson will use the next year and a half to earn a masters in business administration.

"I came here for a good degree and I feel like I have to take the chance to get an even-higher degree than I already have," Sunesson said. "To play another college season, I just feel very blessed. Who doesn't want to play for a DI school when you're a kid?"

When asked about his goals for the final season, Sunesson knew exactly what to say.

"I want to score double digits, win the BIG EAST and go to the NCAA Tournament," Sunesson said.