By Randy Vogt, Director of Public Relations, Eastern New York Youth Soccer Association
June 9, 2018-Four goals from Nick Berneri made the difference as the Lindenhurst Bulldogs of the Long Island Junior Soccer League (LIJSL) shut out New York Surf Long Island of the Westchester Youth Soccer District (WYSD), 4-0. This Boys-Under-14 State Open Cup final for the Howard Rubenstein Cup was played on June 2 at Stringham Park in LaGrange.
Now living in Kentucky, 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.
Joey Blackton and Matt Star are Lindenhurst’s captains and Sean Ronessi got the shutout in goal.
Lindenhurst coach Jason Garguilo explained, “We started to trust one another and move the ball and that led us to the championship."
Lindenhurst also received the Rocco Amoroso Sportsmanship Award, as determined by the game officials. Amoroso, a US Soccer Life Member who died in 2016, started the LIJSL Sportsmanship Program in 1980 and it spread around the world.
Lindenhurst will represent the Eastern New York Youth Soccer Association (ENYYSA) at the Regionals from June 29 to July 3 in Spotsylvania, Virginia as part of the National Championship Series.
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.