From a different date to a different format, there are definitely noticeable differences to the Dacotah Bank Cup Soccer Tournament this year.

The event normally takes place during late June and has featured a variety of teams from across the region.

However, a major tournament in Sioux Falls set a series of dominoes in motion that ended up greatly impacting the Dakota Bank Cup, which is now set for this weekend at Moccasin Creek Soccer Complex.

“Our typical date was already taken by Fargo,” said tourney director Jared Fischbach, “because they moved their dates due to a big tournament in Sioux Falls, a big regional tournament.”

Local organizers had another date picked out, but were asked by the Aberdeen Hotel Alliance to stay off that particular date because of the annual Aberdeen Swim Club High Point Swim Meet and the Arts in the Park event.

“So then we had to move our date again,” Fischbach said. “This was the only other available date that was feasible for our club.”

As a result of the switches, a number of teams that have come in the past will not be part of the tourney this summer.

“Summer tournaments are so hard any more. The Sioux Falls teams are pretty much done the beginning of June. Even the big Fargo teams, they’re wrapping up the first or second week of June. That really puts us in a tough spot to host this summer tournament,” Fischbach said. “So the board is kind of looking at maybe moving this to an indoor early spring tournament. We think that might be our best option.”

While the number of teams competing this weekend will be smaller than normal, a change in format could bring added excitement. The plan is to feature more three vs. three competition instead of the tradition soccer format.

“We added that, which is actually going to be our saving grace this year,” Fischbach said. “There’s not a lot of teams. There’s probably 20 full-sided teams and a lot of those will make 3v3 teams, which is the mid 20s as well.”

Teams from Jamestown and Williston, N.D., as well as Pierre are expected to be among the field, while players from Aberdeen Central will also be part of the tourney.

“There’s a lot of Hub City teams that will have quite a few Central players that will be getting their last touches in before we start preseason camps the week following,” said Fischbach, who serves as assistant coach for the Central boys’ squad.

Action is set to start at 10 a.m. on Saturday and at 8 a.m. on Sunday.

While frustrated with the drop off in the number of out of town teams this year, the tourney still provides an opportunity for local soccer, plus Fischbach is excited about the new format which will allow for a more wide-open style of soccer.

“It’s frustrating that we had to move the dates a couple of times and it’s going to result in not an abundance of teams, but they get to play in town, grandparents in town can come and watch,” Fischbach said. “The 3v3 is kind of the caveat this year. That’s going to be spicy. We’re excited to see how that goes. It’s a lot of 1v1 type of deals and a lot of scoring. You’re subbing in on the fly type deal.”

Fischbach said the soccer board is currently discussing ideas about future tournaments and the possibility of maybe moving them indoors earlier in the spring and with a modified format, and then possibly doing that outdoors again in the summer.

He said the days of the usual Dacotah Bank Cup may be going away.

“We’re literally running out of weekends,” Fischbach said. “That’s what we ran into this year.”

That said, there is still plenty of optimism and excitement in the air surrounding this weekend’s tournament.

“There’s still going to be a lot of soccer going on. That’s always exciting,” Fischbach said. “We’ll see how the 3v3 shakes out. From what I’ve seen of it and what it could be, is something that could be something to build on, that’s for sure.”