By Michael Lewis
Challenge Cup Boys U-11 Final: Port Washington Wolverines 3, Syosset Warriors 1
Haverstraw, N.Y. -- After a slow start, the Port Washington Wolverines came on strong in the second half to recor a 3-1 win over the Syosset Warriors to capture the Boys Under-11 championship at the Challenge Cup on Saturday, June 6.
Areeb Azan scored twice and Steven Sandoval added one goal for Port Washington in the Eastern New York State Cup encounter at the Nardi Soccer Complex.
The game was tied 1-1 at the half before the Wolverines broke through in the second half.
"It was a tough game," Port Washington coach Daryoush Larizadh said. "Both teams started out somewhat slow. I thought it was a little bit too early. But the pace picked up and in the second half. Our team really stepped it up and played a much stronger offense."
The Wolverines are in second place in Boys U-11 Division Two in the Long Island Junior Soccer League with a 4-1-2 and have reached the the Waldbaum’s Challenge Cup final on June 21.
"The big thing about our team is that there are no selfish players," Larizadh said. "They all play as a team. We have good starters with the captains. They all communicate very well. There are no selfish players. That’s a big difference."
Challenge Cup Boys U-12 Final: Woodhaven Warriors 3, Garden City Warriors 1
Haverstraw, N.Y. -- An early goal by the Garden City Warriors gave the Woodhaven Warriors a wake-up call. Falling behind early in their Boys Under-12 Challenge Cup final, Woodhaven struck for the equalizer two minutes later and scored for three unanswered scores en route to a 3-1 win and the State Cup title on Saturday, June 6.
"They kind of woke up and realized it was not going to be easy as they thought it would be," Woodhaven coach Kevin Nunez said.
His son, John Nunez, scored all three goals for the Warriors. It wasn’t a surprise because the younger Nunez leads the team in goals and assists.
"It was a tough game," Kevin Nunez said. "They played a tough defensive game. They have a lot of great players. A lot of our guys stepped up. They defended and played on both sides of the ball, attacking."
Woodhaven is in second place in the Boys U-12 Division 4 in the Long Island Junior Soccer League, trailing the Deer Park Destroyers. The Warriors meet Deer Park in its final regular-season match on June 20. A day later, they play in the Waldbaum’s Challenge Cup final.
Nunez said that he enjoys coaching the Warriors.
"They’re more of a family," he said. "We treat each other as family, brothers, sisters. They get along. They work hard. . . . We’re very family oriented."
Boys U-13 Challenge Cup Final: Carle Place Fireballs 1, Hempstead Tigers 0
Haverstraw, N.Y. -- The Carle Place Fireballs needed only one goal and some goalkeeping heroics to secure the Boys Under-13 title in the Challenge Cup on Saturday, June 6.
Richie Laga provided the offense and Johnny Guzzo made all the important saves in the net as the Fireballs recorded a 1-0 win over the Hempstead Tigers at the Nardi Soccer Complex.
Laga scored late in the first half. The Fireballs’ center midfielder played a long ball toward the left side. Laga came through and one-timed it into the net.
Carle Place coach Stephen Brownd said the match was "a hard fought game. The other team had a lot of pressure on us. They had the earliest scoring opportunities. We possessed most of the first half. The second half, they kept coming. Our goalkeeper stood on his head. Our defense worked hard and we survived."
The Fireballs are play in the Boys U-14 Division 4 in the Long Island Junior Soccer League. They are fighting for first place and reached the semifinals of the Waldbaum’s Challenge Cup.
"We have two games remaining," Brownd said. "Hopefully, two more victories and we go on to Division 3 next year."
Asked what makes the Fireballs so special, Brownd replied, "We come from a very small community, where we pick from a small pool of kids. We have a graduating class of usually 120-130 kids. We don’t pull from outside of the town. They all go to school together. They’re all friends. When they’re not playing soccer, they are all hanging out together anyway. So it’s great."
Boys U-14 Challenge Cup Final: N.Y. Hota Bavarians 7, Northport/Cow Harbor Rapids 2
Haverstraw, N.Y. -- N.Y. Hota/Bavarians coach Ignacio Fernandez just cannot understand his Boys Under-14 team. They start slow, but finish strong.
That certainly was the case in the Challenge Cup final at the Eastern New York State Cup at the Nardi Soccer Complex on Saturday, June 6. After playing to a 1-1 halftime deadlock with the Northport/Cow Harbor Rapids, Hota broke out for six second-half goals en route to a 7-2 victory.
The Rapids scored first and that woke up Hota.
"Absolutely," Fernandez said. "My boys are a second-half team, always. Always."
Except Fernandez can’t fathom why.
"I don’t know," he said. "We’re tying to figure it out. We’d like to get them to change that. We’re working on it."
Hota’s goal-scorers include Elvis Alguiluc (two goals) and Gabriel Fernandez, Andres Salcedo and Julien Genuard.
"The game was very competitive," Fernandez said. "Northport showed a lot of poise. I hope the team stays together. We’re going to see them again, for sure."
Hota is in third place U-14 Second Division in the Long Island Junior Soccer League.
Fernandez said his team still has a chance of winning the division. "I anticipate us moving to the First Division," he said.
He added that Hota "is basically an international team. We have seven or eight different nationalities. We are very tight, meaning we are a team as well as best friends. Our kids hang out together or work together. A wonderful, wonderful team. A wonderful experience to coach them."
Challenge Cup Boys U-15 Final: Manhattan Hurricane 5, N.Y. Hota/Bavarians 0
Haverstraw, N.Y. -- A goal in the final minute of the first half was all the Manhattan Hurricane needed to get revved up in its Boys Under-15 Challenge Cup final.
It started Manhattan to a 5-0 victory over the N.Y. Hota/Bavarians in the Eastern New York State Cup match at the Nardi Soccer Complex on Saturday, June 6.
"It gave us an edge up," Hurricane coach Helmut Mayer said. "It took the edge off the game. The boys calmed down a lot. It gave us a psychological advantage.
"The second half started as intense. Then as the game kept going, the weather, the humidity, the fatigue set in on the opposition. Then the goals started knocking in. The game was going the right way."
Yakuba Janah connected for a hat-trick and Teddy Miller also scored.
Mayer said the Hurricane is a joy to coach.
"I think they’re very, very well balanced," he said. "They have been friends for a very long time. It’s good chemistry. Once the boys know that, they can trust each other. It creates a very, very strong bond. It’s that’s really the strength, power by association.
"They are schoolmates, classmates. There is no one superhero. So everybody plays together. Everybody wins together. Everybody loses together. They have learned that lesson over the last four years that I have coached them."
Challenge Cup Boys U-16 Final: Bayport Sea Dawgs 3. Roosevelt Metro Strikers 2
Haverstraw, N.Y. -- In a rare Challenge Cup achievement, the Bayport Sea Dawgs won their second consecutive age group championship on Saturday, June 6.
Vinny Sakk scored his second goal of the Boys Under-16 final with five minutes left to lift the Sea Dawgs to a dramatic 3-2 victory over the Roosevelt Metro Strikers at the Nardi Soccer Complex.
Sakk came down the right side, cut across the net and beat the goalkeeper with his left foot.
"Last year [we won] in in PKs and this year was another tough one," Bayport assistant coach Brian Leshinger said, referring to the Sea Dawgs’ triumph in the Boys U-15 championship match of the Eastern New York State Cup competition in 2008. Bayport defeated the Hauppauge Wildcats in penalties, 4-2, after playing to a 2-2 tie in regulation and extratime.
"I feel real proud of these boys," Leshinger said. "They won it. They come to practice. They work hard in practice and in the games they work hard. A hard-working group."
Sakk had given Bayport a 1-0 lead, but the Metro Strikers stormed back to grab a 2-1 halftime margin. Joe Hains scored the equalizer, although Leshinger said he had confidence his team could come back.
"No I wasn’t concerned," said Leshinger, who was running the show for coach Paul Farrell, who could not attend the match. "I knew these kids could come back. The first half we didn’t play well and we were only down 2-1. I felt that being with this team so many years that if they worked hard they would come out winning. And that’s what they did."
The Sea Dawgs have a .500 record in the Long Island Junior Soccer League Division 2.
Since there is no U-17 division in the Challenge Cup, if the Sea Dawgs wanted to participate in a State Cup competition, they would have to play in the Open Cup.
"I think we would play in the Open Cup, if that’s what the kids wanted to do," Leshinger said. "It’s another game. You don’t know why you’re going to match up with. You never know what happens."
Challenge Cup Girls U-11 Final: Center Moriches Hot Shots 3, Northport/Cow Harbor Freedoms 2
Haverstraw, N.Y. -- Talk about pressure. Playing in their very first Challenge Cup final, the Center Moriches Hot Shots managed to overcome a one-goal deficit in the second half en route to a 2-2 draw with the Northport/Cow Harbor Freedoms and win the Girls Under-11 crown via penalty kicks on Saturday, June 6.
Center Moriches grabbed a 1-0 lead in the 10th minute, but Northport equalized about 10 minutes later and grabbed a 2-1 advantage with about five minutes left in the half. The Hot Shots tied it midway through the second half to force extratime and eventually penalties in the Eastern New York State Cup championship match at the Nardi Soccer Complex.
Alex Krauss and Rachel Rosansky scored for Center Moriches.
"It was pretty much 50-50," Hot Shots coach Mike Luongo said. "Everyone on both teams played very well. There was no dominant team on the field today. They both played their hearts out. It was a really well fought game."
Center Moriches and Northport compete in the Long Island Junior Soccer League Girls U-11 Division 2. The Hots Shots are in first place with two games remaining in the season.
"It’s a very tight division, but the competition has been fantastic," Luongo said.
The Hot Shots were formed as an Under-8 team.
"For the most part the nucleus of the team has been together since they were about eight-years-old," Luongo said. "Unlike other towns, Center Moriches is very small. We don’t have a tremendous pool of players to pick from. We do have a lot of 10-year-olds on the team. It’s a young team, but they found the heart and courage to play. They have banded together. . . . They’re like 15 sisters on the field."
Luongo, who was fleet of foot during his playing days, was a former star player in the LIJSL with the Hicksville S.C. and with Hicksville High School.
"I’ve been coaching four years now," he said. "I never thought I could have so much enjoyment as a player. These girls, it’s unbelievable. It far exceeds my playing days without a doubt."
Luongo is married and has five children. His daughter Casey plays for the Hot Shots.
"Once in a while I do tell them some stories," he said. "But I’ve learned that early on in coaching these kids it’s not about me, it’s about them. It’s time for them to make some memories."
On June 6, the Center Moriches Hot Shots certainly did.
Challenge Cup Girls U-12 Final: Bohemia Blitz 3, Lindenhurst Lady Flyers 1
Haverstraw, N.Y. -- The Bohemia Blitz did not have much time to bask in the glory of winning a Challenge Cup championship on Saturday, June 6.
Only two hours after receiving their winner's medals, the Blitz players had to return to Long Island to play in a league match.
The Blitz scored a pair of late goals to defeat the Lindenhurst Lady Flyers, 3-1, in the Girls Under-12 final at the Nardi Soccer Complex.
Caitlin Robinson gave the Blitz a 1-0 halftime lead, but the Lady Flyers equalized in the second half. However, Erin Gunther and Erin Koehler scored in the final five minutes to lift Bohemia.
"In another great match-up -- Bohemia vs. Lindenhurst, a hard-fought finish," Blitz coach Tim Gomes said. "It came right to the end of the game when Bohemia scored two quick goals. It was hard fought even right up to the last two minutes."
The Blitz is a new team, Gomes said. The team once played in Bayport, but moved to Bohemia and brought in many new players.
"We're just starting to jell as a team," Gomes said.
Indeed.
Playing in the Girls U-12 Division 2 in the Long Island Junior Soccer League, the Blitz is 2-5-1 this season and Gomes surmised the team probably will return to Division 3 this fall.
But recently, Gomes has seen improvement in his team.
"We're coming off of a win," he said. "We played in the Massapequa tournament two weeks ago and we won that. So the girls are on a high. We're really looking forward to stepping up in the fall and getting back to Division 2."
So winning a State Cup title is a big deal.
"Yes. It's big thing," Gomes said. "It's great. We've been advancing. We started off in a very tough position and each game we have gotten better and have improved as a team."
Gomes has enjoyed coaching the Blitz.
"It's the best youth organization I've been a part of," he said. "The parents are so supportive. That's a very positive atmosphere. There is no negativity. That's the most important part of our team. Our coaching philosophy is supporting each other, win or lose. That shows on the sidelines as a result."
The Blitz was supposed to play the Smithtown Lightning at 3:15 p.m. on Saturday.
Asked if his team would celebrate after his league match, Gomes replied with a laugh, "If we win."
The Blitz enjoyed a unique day, winning twice, defeating the Lightning, 4-2.
Challenge Cup Girls U-13 Final: Brentwood Thundercats 2, Newfield Tigers 1
Haverstraw, N.Y. -- The Brentwood Thundercats continued on course to clinch the triple crown in their age group as they survived a tight win over the Newfield Tigers in the Girls Under-13 championship game of the Challenge Cup on Saturday, June 6.
The Thundercats won the penalty-kick tie-breaker, 3-1, after tying their Long Island Junior Soccer League rivals in the Eastern New York State Cup final at Nardi Soccer Complex.
Brentwood is in third place in the LIJSL Girls U-13 Division 3 and will play in the Waldbaum’s Challenge Cup final on Sunday, June 21.
"It would be a great season," Brentwood coach Jorge Martinez said if his team wins the triple crown. "It would be something that really hasn’t been done, especially for girls who come from Brentwood. Usually it’s the boys who do it. But this time we had a great set of girls. They stepped to the plate, came through and became a good team."
The Thundercats certainly proved it that Saturday.
"It was a good match, an even match, very physical," Martinez said. "But the girls came through. It was hard work from the season that they put through and it showed in the end. This was our second year in being here. Last time we went home disappointed. This time we came back and recovered and took it all the away.
"They scored in the first five minutes. all game we were trying to get that one score back. They kept in. They had heart. They kept going. And they got it back."
Trailing by a goal as regulation was winding down, Aracelis Romero scored for Brentwood to force extratime. After neither team had scored, it came down to penalties.
Romero, Nury Flores and Myra Bonilla converted their attempts for the Thundercats.
"All the girls who went up there were composed," Martinez said. "I told them to place the ball in one corner, don’t concentrate on the goalie and they did it. The other team, I guess the pressure really got to them because they missed three of them."
In 2008, the Thundercats lost to the West Hempstead Wildcats in penalties in the U-12 final, 1-0, after playing to a 2-2 draw.
"It means that when there’s failure, there is always room to succeed and to come back even stronger and to work even harder, because we know how far we can get," Martinez said. "To accomplish it this time it’s even better."
The key to the Wildcats success?
"They’re unified. There’s no cliques," Martinez said. "It’s not about me. It’s about us. They show an effort and the hardship that they play for each other."
Girls U-14 Challenge Cup Final: Valley Stream Hurricanes 2, Commack Crusaders 1
Haverstraw, N.Y. -- The Valley Stream Hurricanes could not have made their Challenge Cup final win any more dramatic. The won the Girls Under-14 title on a penalty kick in the final 10 seconds in regulation en route to a 2-1 triumph over the Commack Crusaders on Saturday, June 6.
Carly Montgomery converted the penalty with much pressure on her in the Eastern New York State Cup final at the Nardi Soccer Complex.
"Carly’s always calm, cool and collected," Hurricanes coach Alan McDougall said. "That’s why she always takes them."
Gabrielle Kasulke gave Valley Stream a 1-0 lead, but the Crusaders equalized before halftime.
"Tough game," McDougall said. "Two very good teams."
The teams knocked heads earlier this year in the Waldbaum’s Challenge Cup with Valley Stream prevailing by the same score, 2-1.
"We knew we were going to have a tough game up here with them and we did." McDougall said. "It was a very competitive game, well played. The girls were great. Both teams enjoyed themselves. I was sorry to see that Commack had to lose."
Both teams are undefeated in league play.
The Hurricanes are in first place in the Girls U-14 Third Division in the Long Island Junior Soccer League, while the Crusaders lead the Division 4.
"The girls have been playing together for about four years," McDougall said. "They enjoy it. They like each other. They’re having a good time. Nice girls, nice parents. Never had a problem. It’s a fun thing. That’s why they’re special. That’s what counts and that’s why they keep coming back."
Challenge Cup Girls U-15 Final: Smithtown Tigers 3, Sachem Fusion 1
Haverstraw, N.Y. -- Unlike many youth teams, the Smithtown Tigers did not have the luxury of being created as an Under-10 team. The team was formed as a U-12 side.
Despite the late start, the Tigers have caught up with the rest of the pack quite quickly. They hit one of their highs in their short history by capturing the Girls U-15 Challenge Cup championship, defeating the Sachem Fusion, 3-1, at the Nardi Soccer Complex on Saturday, June 6.
"We didn’t have the advantage of forming a U-10 team" coach Rick Koenig said. "We formed completely out of girls who had never played travel before. We have risen through the ranks of Division 8 at U-12.
“We are currently at Division 2 through hard work by the players, great training by the trainer. And with the addition of new players . . . brings us to where we are. We’re not done yet.
The Tigers were formed after a girls teams folded in Smithtown.
"We had an opportunity to form a team, but none of the remaining players were there," Koenig said. "So we went into intramurals for players that we knew, gave them some training and took it from there."
Smithtown took a 1-0 lead in the first half. Paige Koenig and Kathryn Kinney scored for the Tigers in the State Cup final.
"It was a very physical, fast aggressive game, which was what we expected because we played Sachem before," Koenig said. "We are very familiar with them. They are a very tough team and they come at the ball hard. It was a tough 80 minutes from one end to the other."
The Tigers are tied for third place in Girls U-15 Division 2 in the Long Island Junior Soccer League.
Challenge Cup Girls U-16 Final: East Islip Strikers 5, Staten Island United 1
Haverstaw, N.Y. -- In a rare treat for the East Islip Strikers, the team had 12 players at a game for the first time this season for their Challenge Cup Girls Under-16 final against Staten Island United. For a good portion of the season the Strikers had trouble finding a full starting 11 for a game.
Buoyed by that fact, the Strikers recorded a 5-1 victory to win the Eastern New York State Cup crown at the Nardi Soccer Complex on Saturday, June 6.
"It was a luxury," Strikers coach Bill Hole said. "We lost four league games because we had only eight girls. So that put us a little down in our league. But we kept stressing for the State Cup."
It was the first time this year that Hole had a substitute.
"In the quarterfinal Valley Stream game, we played with eight players and won in overtime," Hole said. "We’ve had girls hurt. A player tore her ACL. We needed it [the extra player]. It was a very warm day, a sunny day."
After Staten Island grabbed a 1-0 lead, Paige Constantino scored the first of her two goals in the 10th minute and the Strikers never looked back. Chelsea Rosenthal helped make it a 2-1 halftime advantage. Constantino added the third goal and Laura Vetter and Tori Facinni closed out the scoring.
"It was a good game, a competitive game," Hole said. "They came down and scored first on a mistake by our sweeper. Then our goalie got caught off her line and they put it over her head. We were down 1-0 with seven minutes to play.
"I wanted to get a quick goal coming out of halftime to start the second, to keep the pressure on, but that didn’t happen. We had to wait until about the 28th minute. That opened it up for us. We were passing the ball much better."
Hole, the father of former St. John’s men’s soccer player Billy Hole, was impressed with the condition of the fields, considering it rained on Friday.
"The fields dried up nice," he said. "The fields are beautiful. Thank you very much North Rockland. It was a great tournament. It was great for us."
The Strikers are 2-6 in the Girls Under-16 Division 3 of the Long Island Junior Soccer League.
"I’ve had them on the team for a long time," Hole said. "Most of them, 75 percent of the girls [who] didn’t make it for tryouts on the A, B or C team. So we had to start an inter-town team. We won inter-town, became the C team. Then we became the B team and now we’re the A team. we went up through the ranks."
Now you can call the East Islip Strikers Challenge Cup champions.
