NILES — Host Niles will try to defend its VanDenBerg Invitational championship May 18.

The Vikings will face Buchanan at 10 a.m. in the opening round, while Brandywine will host Cassopolis in the other first-round match, also starting at 10 a.m.

The winners will advance to the noon championship game at Niles High School. Brandywine will host the consolation match, which is scheduled to begin at noon as well.

The Vikings blanked cross-town rival Brandywine 2-0 in the 2018 championship match.

Niles advanced to the finals with a 2-1 win over defending champion Buchanan, while the Bobcats defeated Cassopolis 3-1 in a shootout to advance to the title match.

The Vikings blistered Brandywine’s goalkeeper with 27 shots in the championship match.

Then sophomore Grace Florkowski scored a goal in both the finals and semifinals.

The Bucks also had an own goal in their loss to Niles.

Angel Gary, now a senior, helped the Rangers to a 1-1 record as after falling to Niles, Cassopolis rebounded to defeat Buchanan 3-2, also in a shootout.

Gary had the only goal against Brandywine in regulation, while she scored one of the three Ranger goals in the shootout.

Aysia Conley, now a junior, had a goal in both regulation and the shootout. Taylor Herwick, now a sophomore, scored the third goal in the shootout for Cassopolis.