Reno, NV - Mighty Lizard Soccer is rapidly approaching their seventh season of competition within the NJCAA and Scenic West Athletic Conference, with the conference portion of their schedule less than a month away. Now in the thick of preseason training, our coaches have begun the process of implementing game strategies with hopes that both genders can translate that knowledge into gametime success.
For Men's Soccer Head Coach Kyle Kelly, the 2025 season will mark his fourth with the Mighty Lizards and his third at the helm of the men's program. The former Nevada 3A Coach of the Year with Truckee High School continues to build for the program's future while embracing the opportunities present.
"There are no "gimme's" in our conference," stated Kelly. "We have to go into each game like it's a final and play with a focused intensity, and fight for everything for 90 minutes in every game."
With multiple schools within Region XVIII continuously cracking the national Top 20 rankings, the age-old saying, "To be the best, you have to beat the best," remains a constant for the Mighty Lizards, as they hope to regain a SWAC Tournament berth for the first time since 2023.
"We are forming a true brotherhood with this team," stated Kelly. "We train together, we travel together, we eat together. There are no individuals, just a collective moving towards the common goal of being the best in the toughest conference in the country."
Women's Soccer will have a new face at the helm of their program in Debs Brereton. With about 20 years of experience as an athlete and a coach at the NCAA Division I level, Brereton brings plenty of experience to the table with hopes that she can at least pass on a sliver of knowledge to her student-athletes.
"The team is so much fun to be around. The players are extremely coachable and are working hard in every session," stated Brereton. "I'm impressed with how they have been open to learning a new system of play and everyone is embracing their role. We've established goals on and off the pitch for the season, and are committed to working hard to obtain them together."
The number of growth opportunities for a student-athlete may seem finite over the course of a two and a half month season, but Brereton remains eager to push her student-athletes in the right direction this fall. Success breeds more success, and Brereton aspires to influence this positive cycle on each team she leads.
"We will take each session and each game as an opportunity to grow and develop together," stated Brereton. "I'm very excited to see how far the team will go this season and look forward to supporting them every step of the way!"
TMCC will kick off the non-scrimmage portion of their schedule when they host College of Southern Nevada on Friday, Aug. 22 at the TMCC Soccer Field.
