NILES — The VanDenBerg Invitational trophy and title returned to the Niles boys soccer team for a 10th consecutive year.

The Vikings defeated Buchanan in the semifinals 8-0 in the 49th minute of play, before blanking Cassopolis 2-0 in the championship match.

The Rangers reached the championship match after beating host Brandywine 6-0.

For the Vikings, who are under the leadership of new head coach Abel Fonseca, the invitational title gives the team the confidence it needs to continue to adapt to Fonseca’s new style of play.

“Both games, I felt like we possessed really good and did really well with it,” Fonseca said. “We played out of the back when we wanted. Confidence wise, it’s a big game for them.”

The first half in the final against Cass ended in a 0-0 stalemate after a hard-fought defensive match. Niles ended the half with six shots on goal, but Cassopolis goalkeeper, Jason Sopaseuth, continued to make saves to keep the ball out of the back of the Rangers’ net.

Cass ended the first half struggling in the attacking third after only having two shots on goal.

During the Vikings’ halftime discussion, Fonseca said he focused on telling the team to keep its composure.

When the Vikings stepped back on the field for the second half, something must have stuck as senior forward David Haynes scored a goal in the first 18 seconds of play after beating two Cass defenders and slotting the ball into the lower left side of the goal past Sopaseuth, who attempted to dive for the ball.

“Going into the second half, we tried to work on keeping up our intensity and our team shape,” Haynes said. “At first, we weren’t keeping our team shape and our movement with the ball.”

Haynes also said the communication improved in the second half ,allowing the team to better move the ball around the field.

Fonseca agreed Haynes’ movement helped propel the team forward early in the second half.

“David came out with a burst of speed. His energy and his physicality sort of helped get us through,” Fonseca said.

As Niles worked on holding onto a dangerous 1-0 lead, Cassopolis came back, aggressively attacking the Niles defense and forcing goalkeeper Drew Gourlay to make several saves. At the 34th minute, Cassopolis was awarded a free-kick at the top of the penalty box after defender Jadon Hainey fouled a Cass player. Cassopolis failed to capitalize on the play, kicking the ball beyond the top of the goalpost.

Niles’ chance to secure a safer lead came in the 46th minute, when junior mid-fielder Kevin Magana hit the ball into the net after Sopaseuth blocked Viking’s Jackson Shield’s initial shot from the six-yard box.

With only three minutes remaining on the clock, Cassopolis’ Brian Proud had a shot from the far-right corner of the net, but Gourlay easily picked it up. Down the field and seconds later, Niles’s Kyle Beckwith was awarded a yellow card by the center referee official.

Niles held onto the 2-0 lead to finish out the game and reign as champions of the VanDenBerg Invitational for the 10th year in a row.

Moving forward, Fonseca wants to continue working on the team’s shooting after noticing missed opportunities in the first half.

“That’s a process we are trying to fix right now,” he said. “We are struggling at finishing in the attacking third. You know, sometimes we try to force stuff, and that’s what happens when you can’t hit the back of the net. Keep your composure, stay relaxed, and it will come to you. Eventually, if we can’t hit it, be a better option for your teammates and maybe give somebody an easy pass.”

In the semifinal match against Buchanan, goals rained in from a number of Niles’ players, but Niles was ignited by junior Kyle Buckner, who added two to the scoreboard. Andrew Boling and Ozzy Moreno, each had one goal to give the Vikings a four-goal lead over Buchanan at the end of the first 30 minutes of play. In the second half, Haynes added two goals. Magana and Hainey each added one goal to end the match with the eight-goal mercy rule.

In the semifinal at Brandywine, the Rangers got two goals each from Todd Bussey and Buster Ward. Zachary Friske and Logan Pflug also added goals.

Now the team will be working on building chemistry as they prepare to play against Edwardsburg at 5:30 p.m. Aug. 27.

“Going forward, it’s a team bonding thing,” Haynes said. “Having the captains on our team and our team players encouraging one another to stay motivated is important.”