By Randy Vogt, Director of Public Relations, Eastern New York Youth Soccer Association
June 20, 2017-Two Long Island Junior Soccer League (LIJSL) teams, Dix Hills Hurricanes and the Auburndale/Bayside AV Junior, produced a memorable Boys-Under-18 State Open Cup final on Sunday, June 4 at Stringham Park in LaGrange. After overtime, the teams were tied 2-2 and Dix Hills won the state championship, 5-4, in the shootout.
Andrew McDonald scored for Dix Hills and Leo Musacchia added a goal on a penalty kick for their fourth consecutive State Open Cup championship.
“We had the game won but Auburndale/Bayside kept fighting back and scored in the last minute, even though they were down a player,” commented Dix Hills coach Leo Musacchia Sr.
Dix Hills will represent the Eastern New York Youth Soccer Association (ENYYSA) at the Regionals from June 30 to July 4 in Spotsylvania, Virginia.
Dix Hills can add the Rocco Amoroso Sportsmanship Award to their trophy case as well, as determined by the match officials. Amoroso, a US Soccer Life Member who died last year, 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 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.