The Lovato Cup boys soccer opens tonight with some of the top teams from the Blossom Valley Athletic League taking part. The eight-team tournament features seven teams from the Blossom Valley Athletic League, including tournament host Mt. Pleasant, where all the games will be held.
Four of the seven BVAL teams will compete this season in the Mount Hamilton "A" Division: Mt. Pleasant, Lincoln, Evergreen Valley and Santa Teresa. All four teams reached the Central Coast Section playoffs in 2012-13, with Lincoln finishing as the Division II runner-up, losing 2-0 in the title match to Archbishop Mitty.
Group A play begins December 2 with Overfelt taking on San Jose at 6 pm followed by Mt. Pleasant taking on Independence at 7:30 pm.
San Jose represents the BVAL-Santa Teresa "B" Division while Independence plays in the BVAL-West Valley "C" Division, along with James Lick, which opens Group B play Tuesday night at 7:30 against Evergreen Valley. Santa Teresa meets Latino College Prep, the lone non-BVAL squad, Tuesday at 6:00.
Round-robin play continues in Group A on Wednesday with Overfelt facing Independence (6 pm) and Mt. Pleasant playing San Jose (7:30 pm). Group A play concludes Saturday with San Jose matching up with Independence and Mt. Pleasant meeting Overfelt (3:30 pm).
Group B play continues Thursday with matches between Santa Teresa and James Lick (6 pm) and Evergreen Valley vs. Latino College Prep (7:30 pm). Group B play concludes Monday December 9 with Latino College Prep facing off against James Lick (6 pm) and Evergreen Valley battling Santa Teresa (7:30 pm) in the first installment of the Diallo rivalry pitting head coaches - and brothers - Demba Diallo (Evergreen) and Aliou Diallo (Santa Teresa).
The winners of each group meet Thursday December 12 (7 pm) for the championship.
The Lovato Cup also includes a frosh-soph tournament featuring the same schools except with Yerba Buena in place of Latino College Prep. The frosh-soph tournament also begins Monday December 2 with games at 3 pm and 4:30 pm.
