RENO, NV - Truckee Meadows Community College's Men's and Women's Soccer teams have concluded their spring scrimmages, allowing student-athletes to shift their focus to finals week before taking a short break ahead of the fall season. Matchups against teams like Feather River College and local clubs helped coaches build chemistry between returning and incoming players throughout the spring. With more than 10 recruits joining each side, new players will be pushed to adapt to the team's style of play and elevate their performance.
"Communication on the pitch as well as understanding the relationships between each other, they're being built right now," coach Kyle Kelly said. "With our training in the spring, we're not working on any tactics; it's all principles of play. I think our principles we train every day are angles, lines, timing, distance, space, numerical superiority, positional superiority, and once we move into August, when we have everyone here, that's when we'll start pushing those principles to play into a system of play," he stated.
Men's Soccer kicked off their spring season with a win against the Men's Club of the University of Reno, Nevada with a final score of 2-1. Two sophomores, Valentin "Chapo" Linan and Fernando Eligio, contributed, each of them scoring a goal. The Mighty Lizards men's team faced tough competition against Reno United FC and Feather River College, ultimately falling short of securing a victory. It was difficult to maintain momentum, which ultimately led to a loss against both teams. Lastly, the men's team showed efficiency and refinement as they faced a local division 1 UPSL team: Northern Nevada SC. In the first match, the visitors found the back of the net to secure the win, but not before TMCC's Jeremy Lafargue made an impressive 40-yard run through the middle of the field and buried the ball into the back of the net. Two days later, the teams met again in the final game of the spring season, where TMCC secured a hard-fought 1-0 victory behind a goal from sophomore Angel Nava. The Lizards controlled possession throughout the match and executed key tactical adjustments.
Women's Soccer started off with a 4-2 win over local Reno club, Vikings. The Mighty Lizards not only dominated the first half but also scored two goals in the first 20 minutes of the opening period, by forwards Zoey Wilson and Chloe McMinn. This match built confidence among the players, carrying into another win against Feather River on April 18, with a final score of 1–0. Forward Monserrat Iza powered a shot into the back of the net in the 29th minute.
"We have identified a system of play that suits the group returning this fall and have seen encouraging signs as we've begun to implement key concepts during our spring games. Most importantly, we continue to establish and reinforce our non-negotiables as a team, both on and off the pitch," Debs Brereton, the new head coach of Women's Soccer, said. "We have enjoyed a productive spring season, due in large part to the commitment of our seniors who have exhausted their eligibility but continued to train and compete with the team," she added.
The Mighty Lizards Men's and Women's soccer teams showed encouraging and fortifying performances during these games. Coaches identified areas for improvement, while players gained valuable insight into the level of competition.
The Fall 2026 Soccer schedule is on track and can be seen here.
