By By ERIKA PICKLES / Vigilant/Argus
NILES - Niles' varsity soccer team started it season on the right foot Saturday when the Vikings hosted and won the 2005 Phil Vandenburg Tournament for the third straight year.
Niles faced Cassopolis for the tourney opener Saturday morning and defeated the Rangers 4-0.
Colin Smith scored the first goal for the Vikings 14:48 into the game on an assist from CJ Rumpf.
Michael Tanke was the second to score for Niles on a penalty kick to bring the halftime score to 2-0.
In the second half, it was Rumpf who added a goal for Niles at the 49:19 mark on an assist by Tanke and Cody Riggenbach scored the fourth and final goal for the Vikings on an assist from Smith.
Niles had 16 shots on goal, while Cass had two. The Vikings also had two saves, while the Rangers had eight.
In the championship game against Buchanan, Niles took the 2-0 victory to earn the Vikings the trophy.
Tanke was the first to score in the final game at the 15:54 mark on an assist by Chris Thompson.
Rumpf scored the second goal for the Vikings, assisted by Brett Borzei 27:10 into the game.
The Vikings had 14 shots on goal, while the Bucks had five.
Buchanan had seven saves, while Niles had five.
Buchanan defeated Brandywine in the second game of the day, 1-0, to advance the Bucks to the final game.
The Bobcats defeated the Rangers, 4-1, in the consolation game