SIUE had established its soccer program in 1967, but Carenza carried the team to national prominence.
He quickly made an impact on the team when he scored the U.S. goal in a 1–1 tie with El Salvador on July 18, 1971.
He scored twice more, the last goal coming in the last qualification game, a 2–1 victory over Jamaica which clinched the first U.S. appearance at the Olympics in 1956.
In 1973, the St. Louis Stars of the North American Soccer League (NASL) selected Carenza in the first round of the College Draft.
[6] His father, Joe Carenza, Sr., was a member of the National Soccer Hall of Fame.