By Randy Vogt, Director of Public Relations, Eastern New York Youth Soccer Association
June 6, 2013-Two neighboring teams from the Long Island Junior Soccer League (LIJSL) travelled to Stringham Park in LaGrange on June 1 to play in the Boys-Under-15 State Open Cup final. The Dix Hills Elite, which has already qualified for the Nationals by finishing second in their division in the US Youth Soccer National League, won the State Cup championship by shutting out the HBC Titans from Huntington, 1-0.
Joe DeStefano scored on a header at the end of the game off a corner kick from Spencer Manus.
"We were pushing hard for a goal and finally scored at the end," commented Dix Hills coach Dominic Casciato. "The result could have gone either way."
Dix Hills will represent the Eastern New York Youth Soccer Association (ENYYSA) at the Regionals from June 28 to July 2 at the University of Rhode Island. Eastern New York is donating $2,000 to the team and paying all expense fees for the Regionals.
HBC received the Howard Rubenstein Sportsmanship Award as selected by the match referees. Now retired, the remarkable Rubenstein was seemingly involved in every facet of New York soccer and is a member of the Halls of Fame of Eastern New York, the US Amateur Soccer Association and the Long Island Junior Soccer League.
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 12 leagues throughout the association, which covers the entire state of New York east of Route 81. Eastern New York 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. Eastern New York 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.