LADY RAIDERS EXPECT GROWTH AND CHEMISTRY AHEAD OF 2025 SOCCER SEASON

KNOXVILLE, Tenn. — The 2025 Roane State Lady Raiders soccer preseason got underway this week, and head coach Donnie Green was already seeing signs of progress.

Though Roane State lost 5-0 to the Pikeville Bears in their first live action of the year on August 13, the Lady Raiders faced a high-level NAIA opponent in a preseason tune-up, which allowed them to experiment with a new formation and test their depth across the roster.

"I saw improvement right off the bat from last year," Green said. "We went into this game with a different formation, so we're still adjusting. The girls made some good changes during the match, and that's encouraging."

Despite conceding five goals, Green admitted he wasn't keeping a strict scoring tally, and that the focus was on building chemistry and finding the right player combinations rather than putting points on the scoreboard.

"I'm more concerned about fixing mistakes and finding the right pieces of the puzzle," Green explained. "I told them I was going to play everybody in the first two or three games, and that's exactly what we did."

The Raiders managed three shots on goal, coming from Breanna Sanderson, Jazmine West, and Monica Bownds. Green pointed to Bownds' overall play as one of the standouts of the afternoon, along with the speed and tenacity of Victoria Moua, the steady presence of Sanderson, and the contributions of Hannah Kate Turner. Freshman Autumn Brummett also drew praise for her energy on the wing.

One of the highlights came on Sanderson's early shot attempt. "We just had an opening and took it," Green said. "That's what I keep telling the girls — if we have an opening, take it. Don't be afraid to shoot."

In the net, goalkeeper Addison Roberts faced relentless pressure but stood tall with 14 saves. Her performance kept the Raiders within striking distance and gave the defense a chance to settle into the new tactical formation.

Pikeville's dynamic, wide-ranging attack challenged Roane State's marking assignments and defensive organization. Green likened their offensive style to some of the more deceptive and quick-moving teams the Lady Raiders will face in conference play.

"They're very dynamic, with a lot of movement," Green added. "They do a great job of playing wide and then coming inside. That caused some confusion, but it's good for us to see it now. It's similar to some of the top teams in our league."

For Green, the biggest takeaway was the need to generate more consistent scoring opportunities. "We've got to create more chances to score — that wasn't there today," he said. "But our passing and combination play looked good, especially against a team like that."

With one more preseason game on the schedule before the regular season begins, Green plans to keep rotating the lineup to evaluate players in different roles.

"I was pleased," he said. "Not many times you lose and say that, but this was about learning and getting better. We'll take what we learned here and build on it."

Roane State opens its season with a home matchup on Thursday, August 21, 2025, at 6 p.m. ET against Johnson University. The Lady Raiders are hoping that the chemistry and resilience they have been building in preseason will translate into results once the matches start counting.