Johnson University Royals Fall to Pikeville in Soccer Showdown

In a regular-season women's soccer event on September 10, 2025, Johnson University Royals faced a challenging opponent in Pikeville at Knoxville, TN. Despite a strong start, the Royals ended the first half trailing with a score of Pikeville 4-2 Johnson.

The game featured notable performances from Johnson's players. Brianna Houser, Annabel Reiche, and Lexi Hatch were the goal scorers for the Royals, with Reiche and Hatch managing to find the net in a tough match. Pikeville, however, maintained their lead throughout the game thanks to key contributions from players including Rebekah Christopher, Charlene Lofqvist, Sara Ritter, Laura Nino, and Jayla Boyd, who scored the game-winning goal.

Assists were also a part of the game's dynamic, with both teams seeing players contributing to goal setups. For Johnson, Annabel Reiche provided an assist, complementing her scoring effort.

By the final whistle, the scoreboard read Pikeville 7-3 Johnson. The Royals' goalie, Kaitlyn Pope, faced a challenging game as Pikeville pressed their advantage. Reflecting on the game, Head Coach Todd Halliburton admitted the opponent's increased intensity in the latter half posed significant challenges for the team. He remarked, "We got outplayed honestly. We had a good game plan in the first half and started strong and then Pikeville turned up their intensity a little and we had trouble adjusting to it."

Looking ahead, the Johnson University Royals will regroup and aim to improve their season record of 1-2-1 as they face Tennessee Wesleyan on September 13, 2025.