PHOTOS BY RICHARD AKRIDGE Michael Fisher prepares to deliver a kick during a scrimmage at Copperas Cove. Fisher and his teammates started the season 3-0 and won the Tiger Cup championship. The Badgers certainly know how to make a great first impression.

After posting a winning preseason record, the Lampasas boys' soccer team opened its regular-season schedule with an undefeated run to the championship at the Tiger Cup in Smithville over the weekend.

It two days, the Badgers earned three victories and claimed the tournament's crown thanks to a stingy defense and the play of goalie Alex Rininger, who recorded a shutout in each of the final two matches.

Play began Friday morning when Lampasas drew Taylor as its firstround opponent.

The squads were scoreless until Josh Akers set up Walter Oosthuizen, who found the back of the net with 37:16 remaining in the first half.

Minutes later, Taylor responded with a goal of its own to even the score at 1-1. At the 24:18 mark, the Badgers regained control of the match as Akers added another assist to his total after Michael Barfield converted his pass into a one-goal advantage.

Badgers' goalkeeper Alex Rininger, seen blocking a ball during a preseason scrimmage, recorded a pair of shutouts during the Tiger Cup in Smithville over the weekend. With less than five minutes left in the opening half, the Badgers pounced on their opponents, tacking on a pair of goals to pad their lead at 4-1 going into the break.

Barfield's delivery to Gibran Moreno led to Lampasas' third goal of the match with 4:28 remaining. And then, two and a half minutes later, defender Enrique Barientos overlapped on the flank after receiving Jedediah Arms' pass and took the ball all the way to the goal for the final score of the half.

The Badgers had the help of the weather to begin the match, as wind gusts estimated around 10-12 mph blew at their backs.

Lampasas tacked on its last goal at the 31-minute mark when Akers again set up Oosthuizen who scored his second goal of the match.

Akers recorded three assists.

Taylor scored one final goal before falling 5-2. Rininger was credited with eight saves in the contest.

A few hours later, the Badgers found themselves on the pitch once again, running into host team Smithville in the second round.

Possessing a stout defense, Lampasas struggled to score early in the match and found the back of the net just once as the Tigers' goalkeeper thwarted seven other shots.

The lone goal of the opening half came off an Akers throw-in as Gibran gave the Badgers a 1-0 lead.

Lampasas' defense played an outstanding match, allowing a mere two shots on goal, as Rininger posted his first shutout of the regular season.

The Badgers sealed the victory on Jan Ludewig's goal at the 17:30 mark of the second half. Arms was credited with the assist.

On Saturday, Lampasas wrapped up its tournament run with a twogoal, shutout victory in a grudge match against Smithville.

A wind shift sent stiff breezes from the north, but the Tigers could not take advantage of having the wind at their backs.

The Badgers opened the match's scoring when Ludewig earned a point off Marc Campisi's header at the 30:25 mark.

A few minutes later, the duo reversed roles as Campisi was on the receiving end of a Ludewig assist to give the Badgers a 2-0 advantage before halftime.

The Tigers were able to penetrate with more frequency than in the previous match, but Rininger earned 10 saves in his second consecutive shutout.

Helping the goalkeeper out was Akers, who came to the rescue with a saving volley in the second half to preserve the shutout.

After the match, head coach Greg Porter also praised the defensive efforts of Arms, Ian Peck, Michael Shaughnessy and Barfield as they helped maintain the flow of the game by limiting Smithville's time of possession.

The Badgers can celebrate their title until they return to action Friday, traveling to Stephenville for a doubleheader at 1 p.m. and 4 p.m.