By Randy Vogt, Director of Public Relations, Eastern New York Youth Soccer Association
June 6, 2019-The Boys-Under-13 State Open Cup final in the Eastern New York Youth Soccer Association (ENYYSA) on June 1 at Stringham Park in LaGrange was an even game between two excellent teams.
SUSA from Long Island shut out Manhattan-based Downtown United, 1-0, and they 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.
Owen Caraftis scored the game’s only goal while keeper Kyle Rose recorded the shutout in net.
“This championship game came down to one chance and we took it,” said SUSA coach Eddie Hackett.
SUSA also received the Rocco Amoroso Sportsmanship Award, as determined by the game officials. Amoroso, a US Soccer Life Member who died three years ago, 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.
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.