The Varsity ladies will look to add tallies in the win column with a return to the West Plains Zizzer Soccer Classic tournament again this year. West Plains always puts on a great tournament, and the Viking squad looks forward to Valley View on Friday evening (5:00pm), as well as Sikeston and Affton on Saturday. The Viking have NEVER won all 3 games in this tournament, but were able to win 2 matches and the tournament for the first time ever in 2009.

The Zizzer Soccer Classic, hosted by West Plains, began in 2004. The first year of the tournament the Vikings went 0-1 before thunderstorms forced it to be canceled. In 2005 the Vikings went 1-2 in the tournament, winning over Harrison before losing to Lee’s Summit West and Moberly (record: 1-2). Parkview was the #7 seed in 2006, getting slaughtered by #2 Jonesboro before losing to #6 West Plains in PK’s and beating #8 Jennings (record: 1-2). In 2007 Parkview was the last seed out of 8 teams in the tournament. The Vikings lost to #1 Notre Dame, #5 Cape Central, and #6 West Plains (record: 0-3). 2008 found the Vikings entering the tournament as the #6 seed. Parkview lost to #3 Moberly in overtime, as well as #2 Waynesville before beating the host #8 West Plains after losing to them in the tournament the previous two years (record: 1-2). In 2009 the Vikings beat Cape and Liberty, and lost to Sikeston. Parkview came out tied for first (with Affton), winning the tournament for the first time ever.

Flash forward to 2010, and the Vikings have raised both their level of play and their expectations as well. The “round robin” style of the tournament will force the Vikings to bring their A-game to the table for all three games, and the Vikings will be looking to win 3 in the West Plains Tournament for the first time ever, and take home the title for consecutive years.

(Archived info. courtesy of WP.com – coach Nick Schmitt)

If this article looks familiar, that’s because it’s a recycled version of last year’s pre-West Plains tournament article. Get over it!