The tournament splits the various squads into three groups of four, playing 40-minute matches on the stadium field (split in two) and the adjacent practice field. The action kicks off first thing in the morning at 9 am with schools from three different states in action as Gonzaga faces the Maroon Montana Grizzlies, the Black Idaho Vandals play the Eastern Eagles and an all-Washington showdown of Spokane CC and Walla Walla.
Group play continues through to approximately 1:30. After lunch, the Quarterfinals and placement matches will be held throughout the afternoon with the champion being crowned at approximately 5 pm with the 4:20 scheduled kick-off time for the Final. Groups A and B, projected as the more competitive, will see the top two teams advance with the top seed receiving a bye to the semifinals. The second place teams will square off in one quarterfinal while the winner of Group C (comprised of the two alumni teams, SCC and Walla Walla’s Black team) will play the wildcard from A or B.
Gonzaga’s side has won the previous two editions of the growing tournament, which has grown in popularity. It started as a simple eight-team tournament featuring CWU, EWU and GU alumni in 2010 paired with its Season Team Dinner to four outside schools in an eight-team event last year with UI, CWU, EWU and Walla Walla. Gonzaga topped one of the Eastern Washington teams, 4-2, in the first-ever final and defeated the University of Idaho, 2-0, in the 2011 final for the repeat (full tourney results).
