By Randy Vogt, Director of Public Relations, Eastern New York Youth Soccer Association
June 17, 2022-The Girls-Under-16 State Cup championship match in the Eastern New York Youth Soccer Association (ENYYSA) was an intriguing affair between two teams who played in the 2021 final. New York Surf prevailed in 2022, 3-0, after falling to Force FC, 1-0, last year. This game for the Peter Masotto Cup was played on June 5 at Stringham Park in LaGrange.
“Last year, we were disappointed to lose and the girls worked really hard to come back here,” said New York Surf coach Lisa Gozley. “We showed our quality today.”
Alex Burtis-Wyant, Sarah Giossi and Laina Friedman scored the goals while Jessica Centeri and Demetra Sideris shared the shutout in goal.
The cup’s namesake, Peter Masotto, was an East Region Hall of Famer and U.S. Soccer Life Member who volunteered as ENYYSA President from 1984 to 2006, coached the Massapequa Falcons girls team to the 1988 national championship and died earlier this year.
New York Surf will represent Eastern New York at the East Regionals from June 24 to 30 in Charleston and Barboursville, West Virginia as part of the National Championship Series.
Force FC received the Rocco Amoroso Sportsmanship Award as determined by the game officials. Amoroso, a US Soccer Life Member who died five years ago, started the LIJSL Sportsmanship Program in 1980 and it spread to Eastern New York, nationally and then to China and Ireland, and in the process, made soccer games kinder and gentler.
With approximately 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 nine 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/