By Randy Vogt, Director of Public Relations, Eastern New York Youth Soccer Association
June 5, 2019-Clarkstown Elite Samimi of the Eastern Development Program (EDP) shut out SDA East of the Mid-State New York Soccer League, 5-0, at Stringham Park in LaGrange on June 1 to win the first Joanne Roth Cup as Girls Under-12 State Open Cup champions. Clarkstown will represent the Eastern New York Youth Soccer Association (ENYYSA) at the Regionals from June 28 to July 4 in Charleston, West Virginia as part of the National Championship Series.
Jasmine Ouata scored a three-goal hat trick, Sophia Gilbreth and Kaitlyn Hilliard added one goal apiece as Aubrey Haesche and Erin Joyce shared the shutout in goal to bring the Roth Cup back to Clarkstown. The cup’s namesake, Joanne Roth, was a beloved and smiling presence at the ENYYSA office until her untimely passing from ALS earlier this year.
“We’re used to playing together and the girls have been working very hard to win the state championship,” stated Clarkston coach Danny Samimi.
SDA East received the Rocco Amoroso Sportsmanship Award, as determined by the game officials. Amoroso, a US Soccer Life Member who died in 2016, started the Long Island Junior Soccer League (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.
USA teammates Crystal Dunn and Allie Long plus Jamaica goalkeeper Nicole McClure, training for 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.