Top SC teams to compete in girls and boys preseason soccer tournaments

Soccer fans in the Midlands can get their fill of top-notch action this weekend, and they will not have to look far to find it.

At Spring Valley, the Vikings will host 32 of the top girls soccer programs from across the state in the 24^thannual Viking Cup. The tournament begins Thursday and will run through Sunday. Top teams from each SCHSL classification as well as the top private school programs will be represented.

For the boys , Brookland-Cayce, Cardinal Newman, Chapin and River Bluff will host the inaugural Capital City Cup. This will bring together 16 of the best boys teams in the state with the championship being played Sunday at River Bluff.

Both tournaments feature a lineup of all in-state teams. Even though these are preseason tournaments, these matches could shape the season for several of the teams.

“When you get the best of the best together you shake things out early in the year,” Spring Valley girls coach and tournament director Steve Lea said. “A lot of times, this tournament will reset the rankings. I’ve had a lot of coaches to tell me it’s harder to win a Viking Cup than it is to win a state championship. It counts as part of your record but it has no bearing on the postseason. It’s just a measuring stick for the season.”

The Viking Cup started with four teams before growing into the top preseason girls tournament in the state. Lea said they looked into including out-of-state teams but decided to stick with the best South Carolina teams. Soccer has soared to astronomical heights in recent years among female athletes in the state.

“We look at the 4A top 15, 3A top 10 and 2A and A top several,” Lea said. “Then we tried to take the best of the rest to include private schools. We’re missing some but this is always a strong field. Academic Magnet, Chapin, Dorman, Dutch Fork, J.L. Mann and Lexington have to be among the favorites.”

Several Division I, II, III and NAIA colleges will be on hand to recruit this weekend.

The tournament will award the Ashley Nicole Dent Memorial Senior MVP Scholarship in honor of the former Spring Valley player who was killed in a car accident after a practice in 2006.

Among the favorites in the Capital City Cup are Brookland-Cayce, Irmo, Cardinal Newman, Dutch Fork, Chapin and River Bluff.

The weather looks to be nearly perfect through the weekend.

“This is our Daytona,” Lea said. “The depth of teams and excitement of being with the best soccer teams in South Carolina is wonderful to start the season.”

This story was originally published February 24, 2016 at 3:06 PM.