Knoxville Wins Its First USL League One Championship in Historic Season
USL1 One Knoxville SC

Knoxville Wins Its First USL League One Championship in Historic Season

Published on November 19, 2025 under United Soccer League One (USL1)
One Knoxville SC News Release


KNOXVILLE, Tenn. - One Knoxville SC defeated Spokane Velocity FC 2-0 to become the USL League One Champions. The club went a complete season undefeated at home, winning two trophies in Covenant Health Park.

One Knox finished first in the regular season and claimed the number 1 seed heading into the postseason, earning the club's first championship in its inaugural year at Covenant Health Park with the Players's Shield.

As the final kicked off, Knoxville was on the attack from the starting whistle. In just the third minute, Nico Rosamilia collected a deflected pass and left it for a pacing Stuart Ritchie, who fired a rocket over the net.

A minute later, One Knox struck first. 7,500 people at Covenant Health Park erupted as Stavros Zarokostas took on the defender, drove down the end line and slipped a pass past the Spokane goalkeeper to Rosamilia inside the 6 yard-box for a simple finish and a 1-0 lead.

Zarokostas nearly recorded another assist in the eighth minute, but his cross was intercepted. He reclaimed the ball seconds later, though his shot came from too tight an angle.

Ritchie made a nice run in the 14th minute, weaving through defenders before pushing a shot wide left.

Knoxville's defense then took control. In the 17th minute, goalkeeper Sean Lewis made a diving save to knock away a dangerous cross. One Knox survived a series of Spokane corner kicks soon after. Spokane's best early chance came in the 25th minute on a counterattack with Knoxville's defenders still in the opposite half, but came up short.

Babacar Diene almost doubled the lead in spectacular fashion in the 42nd minute with a bicycle kick, but the attempt just went over the crossbar.

Zarokostas had another close miss in stoppage time after being set up by a cross from Callum Johnson.

In the 52nd minute, Ritchie was tripped inside the penalty area, and Kempes Tekiela stepped up to take the penalty kick. Spokane's keeper dove to the right, and Tekiela's shot went to the keepers left and into the goal, securing the insurance goal to double the lead to 2-0.

Head coach Ian Fuller substituted both goal scorers, Tekiela and Rosamilia, in the 76th minute, bringing on Mikkel Goling and Mark Doyle. Diene pushed for a third goal in the 83rd, muscling through defenders before missing wide left. Goling's 89th-minute strike also missed wide.

As the final whistle blew, a sold out and USL League One attendance record breaking crowd lifted the roof off of Covenant Health Park as celebrations and uproar echoed across Rocky Top.

One Knox, the league leader in clean sheets, secured another to close out the title. Knoxville allowed the fewest goals in the regular season and conceded just one in the postseason.

Final Score: One Knoxville SC 2, Spokane Velocity FC 0

Peaceful Club Light Player of the Match and USL League One Finals MVP: Nico Rosamilia

Check out the One Knoxville SC Statistics

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United Soccer League One Stories from November 19, 2025


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