VanDenBerg Tournament to be played at two sites
Published 11:51 am Monday, August 12, 2024
- With the construction of Niles High School’s new softball field removing the grass soccer field, the VanDenBerg Invitational will return to its original format of matches being played at two sights on Saturday. (Leader file photo)
NILES — With the construction of Niles High School’s new softball field removing the grass soccer field, the VanDenBerg Invitational will return to its original format of matches being played at two sights on Saturday.
Brandywine High School will host the semifinal between the Bobcats and Buchanan Bucks, while Niles will host Cassopolis in the other semifinal. Both semifinals are scheduled to begin at 10 a.m.
The championship match, set for 12:15 p.m., will be hosted by Niles with the consolation match set for the same time at Brandywine.
Each match will consist of 30-minute halves. In event of a tie, a shootout will decide the winners.
Admission is $7 per person at both sites.
Niles reclaimed its championship last August after Cassopolis snapped the Vikings’ 11-year winning streak. It was the Rangers’ first-ever VanDenBerg title.
Niles opened the tournament with a 7-1 win over rival Brandywine in the championship match. The Vikings reached the finals by defeating Cassopolis 5-1 in the semifinals to gain a measure of revenge.
The Bobcats against to the title tilt with a 2-1 come-from-behind victory over Buchanan, which hosted the tournament.