A pair of veteran goalscorers trade scores in Knoxville, NCFC get off to best start since 2020, Northern Colorado extend its streak, Lexington grab a big first win, and Madison triumph over Greenville in a big way. Plus, three former champions lost on the same day for the first time in league history.

Here are the biggest takeaways from each Week 5 League One match.

1. Veteran Goalscorers get it done in Knoxville

The only midweek fixture of Week 5, One Knoxville SC (1-1-1, 8th) and Central Valley Fuego FC (1-1-1, 11th) played to a 1-1 draw in the pair's first meeting.

The goalscoring abilities of a pair of seasoned veterans highlighted the first-time matchup between the pair of young clubs. Longtime League One forward Jake Keegan bagged his 24th regular season League One goal in the 15th minute for Knoxville to secure his place behind only Richmond's Emiliano Terzaghi as the league's second-highest scorer. For Central Valley, recent addition and 33-year-old veteran Liga MX forward Othoniel Arce scored from the spot to salvage a draw, becoming Fuego FC's oldest goalscorer.

"We're at a stage in the season where we can look back at our first few games," Knoxville Head Coach Mark McKeever said. "Our objective is always to keep moving forward and to get better. To me, two indications of being better are defending better and attacking better. I think we ticked those boxes tonight."

"We're still building our identity on the ball. That's the big thing for us, being a new club," Knoxville defender Jordan Skelton said. "Being a new group, the guys are still figuring out their roles, and we're still tweaking certain things. Overall, that's what we're trying to get better at and keep moving forward."

2. NCFC enjoying best start since joining league

North Carolina FC (2-1-1, 2nd) snapped a five-match skid against the Owls, defeating Union Omaha (1-1-1, 7th) for the first time on Saturday by a final tally of 2-1. 

North Carolina are looking to turn things around in a big way after back-to-back last-place finishes since joining the league in 2021. Reloading with a number of All-League stars in the offseason, NCFC has matched its best position in the table since joining the league thanks to the club's best start through four matches since 2020.

"I was proud of the group overall and happy for them to earn an important three points on the road," NCFC Head Coach John Bradford said. "We have been stressing the benefits of winning the ball high up the field and defending forward. It was great to be rewarded with a penalty and goal early in the game."

"As a collective, the three points are big for us," NCFC midfielder Louis Perez said. "It’s a tough place to play, and they’re a tough team to face, so we’re really happy with the result. There are still places where we can improve, so we’re happy but not satisfied."

For Omaha, a team that has been historically hot at the beginning of seasons, the Owls recorded their first-ever loss before April 30 across all competitions, dropping to a combined 6-2-3 in all contests across March and April. Still, Omaha should be just fine this season - the Owls have scored more goals than expected and conceded fewer than expected.

"Disappointing to start the game in the way we started it. I think we knew exactly how they would press us," Omaha Head Coach Dominic Casciato said. "Just needed to start the game in a better fashion. You can’t give anyone in this league a one-goal head start in the first minute.

"We're disappointed, but we go again. It’s our first taste of defeat, so now it’s about how we respond. Today, we let ourselves down with how we started the game, but a good lesson learned from that and we’ll come back stronger."

3. Hailstorm closing in on history

In a defensive battle between a pair of the league's top sides early in the season, the Richmond Kickers (1-1-2, 6th) and Northern Colorado Hailstorm FC (1-0-2, 5th) fought to a scoreless draw in front of over 5,000 fans at City Stadium.

"I was really happy with our whole backline and the team defensively," Richmond goalkeeper Will Palmquist said. "I think we had a different energy about us defensively. We've been good this year, but it felt really sharp tonight. We took care of our end of the field so it was great."

The match saw Richmond extend its all-time unbeaten streak against Northern Colorado to 2-0-2, while the Hailstorm matched a league record with three clean sheets to start a season. Previously only achieved by Union Omaha to kick off its 2021 title-winning campaign, a Hailstorm clean sheet against (fittingly) Union Omaha on April 29 will set a new league record. 

“We’re unbeaten, major positive. We haven’t conceded a goal in three league games away from home, major positive,” Hailstorm Head Coach Éamon Zayed said. "I think it’s an all-around team effort. The guys are working extremely hard every single game. They’re fighting for every single ball."

"The boys have done a tremendous job," Hailstorm goalkeeper Lalo Delgado said. "It’s not just me. It comes from everyone."

4. Lexington get big first victory over defending champs

Expansion side Lexington SC (1-2-1, 10th) claimed its first-ever victory on Saturday evening, downing defending champions South Georgia Tormenta FC (2-3-0, 3rd), 2-1, in just its second home match.

"I’ve spoken so much about this group of men, these players, how hard they want it, how much they want to work, how much they’re prepared to go the extra mile to do it," LSC Head Coach Sam Stockley said. "They’re all bought in, they’re a fantastic group and hopefully now you see it on the field. How much it means to us and how much it means to [Lexington] as a community to try and be successful."

Lexington's victory in front of over 2,600 at Toyota Stadium was defined by League One Player of the Week Owen Green scoring the match-winning goal in the 71st minute. Green's goal was not only the English defender's first professional score, but it also came against his former club, with which he won the 2022 League One title with. Demonstrating the league's parity, LSC's win over Tormenta FC means defending champions hold just a 7-6-7 record all-time against teams in their debut League One season. 

"We worked really hard and played well together," Lexington winger Nico Brown said. "It was a great result for us, and we keep working; this is not the end result. It’s great to finally get three points."

5. Madison hot, Greenville Not

Forward Madison FC's (1-0-2, 4th) 4-1 thumping of Greenville Triumph SC (0-3-0, 12th) was eye-opening for a couple of reasons. First, I think most people expected Madison to put together strong, all-around team performances - maybe not to the tune of four goals but you get the idea. Second, I can confidently admit that what we've seen from Greenville early in the season has been quite surprising.

The league's all-time winningest team now has achieved another record, and it's not a positive one. With Greenville's 0-3-0 start, the 2020 champions have now become the first team in league history to start a season with three consecutive losses. It's just the second week that Greenville sit dead last in the standings since its 2019 debut.

For Madison, a pair of early draws and a heartbreaking U.S. Open Cup loss are tough, sure, but the 'Mingos quietly are off to their third consecutive season starting with three straight unbeaten matches. A packed Breese Stevens Field was treated to a thrilling contest, highlighted by a sensational Bernd Schipmann penalty save that sprang a furious 'Mingo counter-attack goal through Christian Chaney.

"I looked at Assistant Coach John Pascarella and he motioned to me and I gave him the thumbs up," Madison goalkeeper Bernd Schipmann said. "I played some mind games and ended up reading the penalty and guessing right. What happened next was awesome; it felt great to save it."

"We knew it was going to take a bit of time for the team to get on the same page fully, but we were able to put it together tonight," FMFC forward Christian Chaney said. "We know the quality we have, and we need to continue to show it like tonight."