By Randy Vogt, Director of Public Relations, Eastern New York Youth Soccer Association
June 9, 2014-When Massapequa Arsenal of the Long Island Junior Soccer League (LIJSL) scored an early goal in the Boys-Under-18 State Open Cup final on June 1 at Stringham Park in LaGrange, it looked to be a similar story as last year when they shut out Downtown United of the Cosmopolitan Junior Soccer League (CJSL), 1-0, in the final. But a lucky bounce changed that midway through the first half as a Massapequa defensive clear wound up hitting Downtown United’s Jonathan Jaramillo and rebounded into the Massapequa net.
Camilo Hernandez scored on a 25-yard golazo to give Downtown United a 2-1 lead just before halftime.
“The game went back and forth, both teams had their chances in an even game and our goalie, Ziggy Fermia, came up big for us,” commented Downtown United coach Alex Cuba.
The 2-1 victory gives Downtown United their second Eastern New York Youth Soccer Association (ENYYSA) championship in the past three years.
Downtown United received a $2,000 check from Eastern New York to defer the costs of playing in the Regionals from June 26 to July 1 in Kingston, Rhode Island.
Massapequa received the Howard Rubenstein Sportsmanship Award as selected by the match officials. Now retired, Mr. Rubenstein was seemingly involved in every facet of New York soccer for decades and is a member of the Halls of Fame of Eastern New York, the US Amateur Soccer Association and the LIJSL.
With 123,843 youth soccer players––68,587 boys and 55,256 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 Special Children. 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 on to http://www.enysoccer.com/, which receives nearly 300,000 hits annually from the growing soccer community.