Back row, from left to right: Caitlyn Lopeck, Kailee Vaseghi, Erin Fitzgerald, Samantha Rini, Diana Hadjiyane, Emily Zeblinsky, Nina Macagnone, Fiona McCaul, Kaitlyn Byrnes-Cunningham, Mackenzie Griffin, Allison Kunstler.
Front row, left to right: Michael Mulqueen, Liam Farrell, Connor O’Callaghan, Nick Mastroianni, Konstantine Mendrinos, Tyler McElhinney, Matthew Barresi, Ronin Chasin, Andrew Wagner, Ryan Mehryari, Jack Zaretsky, Jack Costa, Colin Capece, Brandon Rodriguez.
Camera shy: Jaclyn Corbin, Robert Cydzik, Colin Fitzgerald, Caitlyn Humann, Leo Musacchia, Alexis Quealy
By Randy Vogt, Director of Public Relations, Eastern New York Youth Soccer Association
July 18, 2018-The Long Island Junior Soccer League (LIJSL) is the largest league in the Eastern New York Youth Soccer Association (ENYYSA) and has the largest college scholarship program. 31 scholarship recipients, selected based on academic and athletic excellence plus community service, were honored by the league at the LIJSL Scholarship Breakfast on Sunday, July 15 at the Huntington Hilton.
The LIJSL Scholarship Program began in 1981 when one boy and one girl each received a scholarship and it has grown exponentially just as soccer continues to grow in the United States.
New this year are the Jerry Marinan Memorial Scholarship and the Brittney Walsh Memorial Scholarships. Marinan, a LIJSL Hall of Famer, was a member of the Levittown Soccer Club for over 35 years, volunteering as coach, travel director, social activities director and president plus was heavily involved in both the LIJSL’s Liberty Cup and Waldbaum’s Cup. Walsh was ranked #22 in the 2012 graduating class at Copiague High School, was captain of the girls soccer team and winter track team plus played for Lindenhurst and Massapequa in the LIJSL. She was the personification of her yearbook quote, “Be a Fruit Loop in a World of Cheerios."
Congratulations to all the LIJSL Scholarship recipients:
• Ryan Mehryari attending Molloy College, Jerry Marinan Memorial Scholarship
• Caitlyn Lopeck attending the Sage Colleges, Brittney Walsh Memorial Scholarship
• Jack Zaretsky attending Fairleigh Dickinson University, Brittney Walsh Memorial Scholarship
• Andrew Wagner attending Adelphi University, Rocco Amoroso Sportsmanship Award Scholarship
• Konstantine Mendrinos attending Queens College, Sean Urda Memorial Scholarship
• Kailee Vaseghi attending Molloy College, Frank and Michael Vertullo Foundation Scholarships
• Colin Capece attending Notre Dame, Peter C. Collins Presidential Scholarship
• Colin Fitzgerald attending the University of Florida, Addie Mattei-Iaia Presidential Scholarship
• Emily Zeblinsky attending Johnson & Wales University, Pat Grecco Scholarship
• Erin Fitzgerald attending Drew University, Eurosport Scholarship
• Ronin Chasin attending Cornell University, Bobbie Marks Memorial Scholarship
• Caitlyn Humann attending Fordham University, Bobbie Marks Memorial Scholarship
• Alexis Quealy attending Queens College, Bobbie Marks Memorial Scholarship
• Diana Hadjiyane attending Boston College, Eileen Frazita Memorial Scholarship
• Nina Macagnone attending Albany State, Joseph Lombardo Memorial Scholarship
• Tyler McElhinney attending Loyola University, Michael Scarpati Memorial Scholarship
• Leo Musacchia attending Stevens Institute of Technology, Matthew Scarpati Memorial Scholarship
• Matthew Barresi attending American University, Miles For Matt Foundation Scholarship
• Liam Farrell attending Cornell University, Miles For Matt Foundation Scholarship
• Connor O'Callaghan attending Quinnipiac University, Miles For Matt Foundation Scholarship
• Robert Cydzik attending Fordham University, Carolyn Page Memorial Scholarship
• Katelyn Byrnes-Cunningham attending the University of Delaware, Sandra Atlas Bass Scholarship
• Mackenzie Griffin attending Geneseo State, Dalia Morelli Memorial Scholarship
• Brandon Rodriguez attending Suffolk Community College, Frank Gorman Memorial Scholarship
• Jaclyn Corbin attending Haverford College, John Pinezich Memorial Scholarship
• Nick Mastroianni attending Trinity College, Michael Secko Memorial Scholarship
• Michael Mulqueen attending Cornell University, Jonathan Marc Serota Memorial Scholarship
• Fiona McCaul attending the University of Scranton, Modell’s Scholarship
• Samantha Rini attending Manhattan College, George Hoffman TOPSoccer Volunteer Scholarship
• Allison Kunstler attending Duke University, George Hoffman TOPSoccer Volunteer Scholarship
• Jack Costa attending Springfield College, Modell’s TOPSoccer Volunteer Scholarship
LIJSL Scholarship Chairperson Lynn Scarpati addressed the scholarship winners when she said, “You put in a lot of hard work to be here. Life is not always fair but we know that you know how to transform lemons into lemonades.”
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 on to http://www.enysoccer.com/, which receives nearly 300,000 hits annually from the growing soccer community.