The Niles soccer team will be seeking its eighth straight championship at the VanDenBerg Invitational on Saturday.

Brandywine, Buchanan and Cassopolis will be attempting to unseat the Vikings as champions when play begins at 10 a.m. at both Niles and Brandywine high schools.

Buchanan will face host Niles in one semifinal, while Brandywine will host Cassopolis in the other semifinal.

The championship game is scheduled for noon at Niles High School. The Bobcats will host the consolation match at the same time.

Because it is a tournament, teams will play two 30-minute halves. A shootout will break any ties.

Last year, the Vikings blanked Cassopolis 8-0 in the championship game. Niles reached the finals with a 6-0 win over Buchanan, while the Rangers defeated Brandywine in the other semifinal.

Niles has outscored its opponents 32-1 in the last two VanDenBerg Invitationals.

Niles coach Ryan Haines said his team is looking forward to opening its season Saturday.

“We are coming out with a new look this year,” he said. “Players are in different spots and we have eight new starting holes to fill. It’s a good opportunity for us to find out what fits and what doesn’t. We have done very well the past two VanDenBerg tournaments outscoring our opponents 32-1.

“The players want it. The coaches want it. The program wants it. Our first goal this year is to bring it home for an eighth straight year.”

Brandywine has a new coaching staff as Dan Perry and Joe Scoggin are sharing the duties.

Both are eager to get the season under way to see just what type of team they have.

“We are looking for a good, hard start,” Scoggin said. “We want them to go out there and play hard and compete. It is a fresh start and we are starting to revolutionize the soccer program. We have been blessed with some good kids and we are going to go out there and give it our all.”

Perry said there is no real advantage to playing that first match at home unless a lot of Brandywine fans show up.

“To be honest with you, I do not think it matters if we are home or away,” he said. “If we have a lot of fans show up it will help us, but it is really up to the kids on how well they want to play. We can coach them, but they have to want it. These are young kids and we are new coaches, but if they buy into our system I think we are going to be good.”

Cassopolis coach Austin Francis does not know what to expect from the Bobcats on Saturday.

“With Brandywine having a new coach it is hard to tell what they will be like, but we will be playing with a high-pressure approach in order to keep them from getting into any type of rhythm,” he said. “Niles is a very smart team and our game plan will probably change against them. We typically try to come out and score early and often, however to unseat them we will more than likely play more defensive heavy to keep the game as low scoring as possible. The key to us winning will be playing smart and making the most of every opportunity to counter.”