By Randy Vogt, Director of Public Relations, Eastern New York Youth Soccer Association
June 8, 2016-In the Girls-Under-12 State Open Cup final between two Long Island Junior Soccer League (LIJSL) teams, the Smithtown Panthers topped HBC Soccer Legacy, 3-2, at Stringham Park in LaGrange. This Eastern New York Youth Soccer Association (ENYYSA) championship game was played on June 4.
Hannah Maracina scored two goals for Smithtown and Alyssa Allocca netted one while Amanda Balkunos and Katlyn Krupski scored HBC’s goals.
“We gave 110% and never gave up,” Smithtown coach Andrea Miller stated. “HBC is a very good team and we always have a good battle against them.”
HBC received the Howard Rubenstein Sportsmanship Award as determined by the game officials. Now living in Kentucky, Mr. Rubenstein was seemingly involved in every facet of New York soccer fordecades and is a member of the Halls of Fame of Eastern New York, the US Amateur Soccer Association and the LIJSL.
Smithtown will be training for the Regionals from June 30 to July 5 in Barboursville, West Virginia and Eastern New York will help pay for their costs.
With over 100,000 youth soccer players––both boys and girls––and more than 25,000 volunteers, the non-profit Eastern New York Youth Soccer Association (ENYYSA) stretches from Montauk Point, Long Island to the Canadian border. Members are affiliated with 11 leagues throughout the association, which covers the entire state of New York east of Route 81. ENYYSA exists to promote and enhance the game of soccer for children and teenagers between the ages of 5 and 19 years old, and to encourage the healthy development of youth players, coaches, referees and administrators. All levels of soccer are offered––from intramural, travel team and premier players as well as Children With Special Needs. No child who wants to play soccer is turned away. ENYYSA is a proud member of the United States Soccer Federation and United States Youth Soccer Association. For more information, please log onto http://www.enysoccer.com/, which receives nearly 300,000 hits annually from the growing soccer community.