Spring Valley’s Morgan Molosso tries to get by White Knoll’s Amber Hughes.
Since 1993, the Taco Bell Viking Cup has kicked off the South Carolina high school girls’ soccer season. The tournament hosted by Spring Valley started with four teams 22 years ago but has grown over the years to feature 32 of the state’s top programs. It is now considered the premier girls’ pre-season invitational in South Carolina, and it is one of the nation’s largest high school tournaments. This year’s tournament was no different.
Included in the field among others were last year’s Class 4A final four in Class 4A: J.L. Mann, Dorman, Dutch Fork, and Wando, the state champion. Three of Class 3A final four were also in the field: Eastside, Chapin, and state champion Hilton Head. Class 2A champion Academic Magnet returned this year along with the team it beat in the Lower State championship game, Bishop England.
SCISA 3A perennial power Cardinal Newman was also in the field. The Lady Cardinals were joined by other local schools Airport, Brookland Cayce, Irmo, River Bluff, Blythewood, A.C. Flora, Lexington, White Knoll, and, of course, Spring Valley.
Airport’s Taylor Sofaly and Chapin’s Katie Arthur battle for the ball.
The Lady Vikings matched up with White Knoll to get the tournament started Thursday, February 26. Morgan Molosso scored in the 33rd minute for Spring Valley, and the Lady Vikings held on for the 1- nil victory to advance. Spring Valley then played Fort Mill on Saturday morning, February 28, and the two schools fought to a scoreless tie sending the match to penalty kicks. There Fort Mill advanced by a 5- 4 margin. The Lady Vikings then played powerhouse J. L. Mann and beat the Lady Patriots 2-nil to conclude their tournament.
The A.C. Flora Lady Falcons opened play against Lexington on the field next to Spring Valley and fell 4-1, but A.C. Flora bounced back on Saturday to down Greenville 4-nil and Wade Hampton 1-nil.
The Airport Lady Eagles ran into a buzzsaw in their first match against Chapin on Thursday night. Chapin got two goals from Sally Slice and goals from Kaylan Nelson, Jordan Dawsey, Shelby Green, and others to win 7-nil. Airport had other rough outings on Saturday losing 6- 1 to J. L. Mann and 4-nil to White Knoll.
Brookland-Cayce’s A.J. Gilmore gathers a loose ball as Irmo’s Michaela Johnson closes in.
The Brookland- Cayce Lady Bearcats played their first match Thursday as well losing 2- nil to Irmo. The Lady Yellow Jackets got goals from Kaylyn Hernandez in the 21st minute and Jesse Dukes in the 35th minute. The Lady Bearcats bounced back on Saturday to tie Northwestern in regulation and advance on penalty kicks. Then Brookland-Cayce got a little bit of revenge beating Hilton Head 2- nil. The Lady Seahawks have eliminated the Lady Bearcats from the Class 3A playoffs each of the last three years.
The Cardinal Newman Lady Cardinals fell behind South Aiken 1-nil in their opening match of the tournament on Friday, February 28, but Regan Fosmire got behind the South Aiken defense and scored the equalizer in the 45th minute, and then Kaitlyn Cote headed in Catherine Onate’s long free kick in the 56th minute to give Cardinal Newman the 2-1 win.
Cardinal Newman’s Regan Fosmire (20) takes a pass from Ashley Maddock as South Aiken’s Laura Barnes pursues.
The Lady Cardinals then had the unfortunate task of taking on Wando, and the match quickly went in the Lady Warriors’ favor. Hannah Betfort scored in the 11th minute and opened the flood gates. Lyndi Bauer snuck one in the corner in the 19th minute, followed by another goal from Betfort in the 20th minute, Eva Dailey’s shot in the 22nd minute, and Ansley Bucknam’s header in the 34th minute to give Wando a 5- nil lead at the half. The Lady Warriors went on to win 7-nil. The Lady Cardinals then fell 2-nil to Clover in their final match.
Fort Mill won Bracket A advancing on PKs in all three of its matches including the final against Chapin.
Academic Magnet took Bracket B beating Dutch Fork 5-3 in penalty kicks after the match ended in a 1-1 tie in regulation.
Wando easily won Bracket C winning its matches 3-nil, 7-nil, and 5-nil against Eastside in the final.
West Ashley won Bracket D beating Irmo 2- 1 in the final.
Spring Valley’s Courtney Staudt takes her space in the midfield.
Due to inclement weather on Sunday, March 1, tournament officials and coaches agreed to cancel the semifinals and final and award the title on a points system. By virtue of its undefeated record and never surrendering a goal, Wando took first place. West Ashley was second at 2-0-1. Academic Magnet was third at 1-0-2, and Fort Mill was fourth at 0-0-3.
Airport’s Katrina Phelps tries to keep the ball away from Chapin’s Kaylan Nelson.
Brookland-Cayce’s Haley Harrell clears the ball as Irmo’s Sunny Mayall closes in.
Cardinal Newman’s Catherine Onate passes downfield as Wando’s Ellen Hayes pursues.
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