By Randy Vogt, Director of Public Relations, Eastern New York Youth Soccer Association
June 12, 2019-Two goals and an assist from Julian Burden helped give Downtown United 2000 Blue a 3-1 overtime win over Black Watch Premier 2000/2001 to win the Eastern New York Youth Soccer Association (ENYYSA) Boys-Under-19 State Open Cup title on June 2 at Stringham Park in LaGrange. The teams were tied, 1-1, after regulation.
Guillermo Purchese scored Downtown United’s other goal and keeper Andy Hueypoen was also outstanding.
“We scored three quality goals although their keeper came up with a lot of great saves,” stated Downtown United coach Werner Dasbach.
As Boys-Under-19 champs, Downtown United brought the Peter Collins Cup home to Manhattan. Peter, who died last year, was a U.S. Soccer Hall of Famer and U.S. Soccer Life Member who volunteered as Long Island Junior Soccer League (LIJSL) President from 1977 to 2004 and coached the Hicksville Minutemen to the Boys-Under-19 national finals.
Downtown United 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.
Black Watch Premier 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 LIJSL and Eastern New York plus was also honored as a Life Member by U.S. Soccer like Collins.
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.