The Bryan Lady Vikings played soccer like Wild Bill Hickok played poker -- with aces and eights.

Bryan's midfield aces, Kacy Shea and Brittany Little, triggered an 8-0 victory over Magnolia West in a Brazos Valley Cup opening-round soccer match Thursday at Merrill Green Stadium. In getting the win, Bryan improved its record to 8-0, exceeding the Lady Vikings' win total for last season.

"We were happy to get the shutout," Bryan coach Amy Pettibone said. "A lot of it is about momentum. A lot is about confidence and a lot is about sending a message. This is a different team from last year."

Bryan, which missed on some chances to score late in the first half, didn't miss much in the second half, scoring six goals while posting a sixth shutout this year. Ana Meyer was in goal, but was a witness to most of the action. She did make a short-hop save of a late shot by Magnolia West's Amy Golden.

Bryan will meet Willis, a 5-0 winner over Galveston Ball, in a winners' bracket match at 5 p.m. Friday at Merrill Green Stadium. Magnolia West (3-4) will play Galveston Ball at 7.

Friday matches are also scheduled for Sam Rayburn, Stephen F. Austin and Davila Middle School fields.

"It's a better start to the tournament than we had last year," said Pettibone, whose 2011 team lost all three BV Cup games en route to a 7-15-1 record. "We had some missed opportunities. We tightened up things and fine-tuned. We crashed the goal, used our outside [midfielders] and just judged the ball better."

Bryan was able to use all of its players in the victory.

Little scored twice, helping a fast-attacking Bryan charge after halftime. When the Lady Vikings' high-pressure attack failed to net a score, the ball bounced back to Little, who hammered it in for a 3-0 lead. It grew to 4-0 on Shea's 30-yard free kick that skipped off the hands of goalie Taylor Wars.

Little pushed a short pass through to Shea, who had her choice of angles, and eased a short to her left past Wars.

Mariaelena Sanchez ran down a long pass to get in position for the sixth goal. Jaime Thompson, who helped the Lady Vikings' defense stay in charge, scored from 25 yards with a right-footed drive and Emily Desern knocked in a rebound for the final goal.

The Lady Vikings led by two goals at intermission. Bryan, which controlled play throughout, scored on a long, rolling crossing pass that found the foot of Tori Brown, who bumped the ball in at 36:20.

The lead grew to 2-0 with 21:34 left in the opening half when Little scored. She took the ball from Tori Saenz via a throw-in and controlled the ball a step inside the right corner of the penalty area. Little's shot across the goal, well out of reach of Wars, hit the inside of the left goal post at ground level.

That held until halftime, but it might have been more. Celeste Fields dropped a pass back for Brown, who missed wide. A long pass from Little to Brown in the left touch line set up a centering pass, but no Bryan player could make contact. Gayle Candela also misfired with a good shot to score.

Brazos Valley Cup

Thursday

First-round scores: Kingwood 4, Klein 1; Lubbock Monterey 2, Nikki Rowe 1; Katy 3, Montgomery 0; Friendswood 3, Beaumont Westbrook 0; Midland 2 Dickinson 0; Tomball 4, Brownwood 1; Bryan 8, Magnolia West 0; Willis 5, Galveston Ball 0

Friday

Winners' bracket matches: Kingwood vs. Lubbock Monterey, 3 p.m.; Monterey vs. Friendswood, 5 p.m.; Midland vs. Tomball, 3 p.m.; Bryan vs. Willis, 5 p.m.

Consolation bracket matches: Klein vs. Nikki Rowe, 5 p.m.; Montgomery vs. Westbrook, 7 p.m.; Dickinson vs. Brownwood, 3 p.m.; Magnolia West vs. Galveston Ball, 7 p.m.