By Randy Vogt, Director of Public Relations, Eastern New York Youth Soccer Association
June 9, 2019-Alleycats 2003G NPL topped Nirvana 360 Illusion, 2-1, in extra time to win the Peter Masotto Cup as Girls-Under-16 State Open Cup champs. The tense affair was played on June 2 at Stringham Park in LaGrange.
Sydney Wells scored Alleycats’ goal in regulation while Olivia Martuscello scored the championship-winner at the end of the second overtime.
“It was an even game. I thought we had a little bit of luck and some good composure and we were a little bit better on the ball,” said Alleycats coach Brian Gordon.
The cup’s namesake, Peter Masotto, is an East Region Hall of Famer and U.S. Soccer Life Member who volunteered as President of the Eastern New York Youth Soccer Association (ENYYSA) from 1984 to 2006 and coached the Massapequa Falcons girls team to the 1988 national championship.
Alleycats will represent Eastern New York at the Regionals from June 28 to July 4 in Charleston, West Virginia as part of the National Championship Series.
Nirvana received the Rocco Amoroso Sportsmanship Award as determined by the game officials. The namesake of the award, who died in 2016, was inducted into the Halls of Fame of the Long Island Junior Soccer League (LIJSL) and Eastern New York plus was honored as a Life Member by U.S. Soccer, just like Masotto.
USA teammates Crystal Dunn and Allie Long plus Jamaica goalkeeper Nicole McClure, competing in the Women's World Cup, all played on youth teams that won Eastern New York’s State Open Cup when they were kids.
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.