The Men’s-Under-23 champion Manhattan Soccer Club.
By Randy Vogt, Director of Public Relations, Eastern New York Youth Soccer Association
July 30, 2013-Start spreading the news that the best Under-23 teams from the Eastern New York State Adult Soccer Association came to Stringham Park in LaGrange on Sunday, July 28 and the champion trophies wound up reading New York, New York. Both the Manhattan Soccer Club men and women were champions as the games for state supremacy pitted the top teams from the Eastern District Soccer League’s (EDSL) members: Greater Hudson Valley Soccer League (GHVSL), Capitol District Soccer League (CDSL) and Long Island Soccer Football League (LISFL).
Most of these teams’ players grew up in the Eastern New York Youth Soccer Association (ENYYSA).
"This league comes together only through great cooperation between Eastern New York’s adult and youth associations," commented EDSL President Peter Pinori.
In the men’s final between two EDSL teams, Manhattan of the GHVSL shut out Guilderland’s FC Dutchmen of the CDSL 2-0. Dan Miller scored on a five-yard header just before halftime and Ethan Kass tallied midway through the second half when he beat the FC Dutchmen offside trap.
"I thought we held the ball well and had a timely goal right before halftime," explained Manhattan men’s coach Ray Selvadurai. "FC Dutchmen came right back at us toward the end of the game but our defense led by central defender Gabriel Wirz was able to shut them out."
Besides having players from ENYYSA, Manhattan receives northern exposure as young men from Maine and Alaska play for the new champions.
FC Dutchmen made it to the final this year by eliminating the LISFL’s Real Caribe, 1-0, in the semifinals. The LISFL team was Under-23 national champions in 2012 and national finalists this summer.
The LaGrange Red Devils won the GHVSL men’s championship the past three years with Cortland United taking the inaugural competition in 2009.
In the all-EDSL/GHVSL women’s final, the Manhattan Pride produced an emphatic 5-1 win over the LaGrange Hawks despite an enthusiastic crowd rooting for the home team. Jenn Peters scored three goals for Manhattan while Emma Bodeker and Alex Hart each added one. Aislinn McIlvenny scored for LaGrange.
Many of the same Manhattan players won the Girls-Under-19 State Open Cup on June 8.
"We were solid in the back and our keeper, Kalijah Terilli, is a big reason for our success," said Manhattan women’s coach Jay Myers. "But another reason that we won today is because of the three goals from Jenn Peters, who is not even in college yet."
This is the third year that the GHVSL has featured a women’s division. Middlepath United won the championship last year, while Capitol United of CDSL captured the inaugural women’s Under-23 State Cup.
"Our league gives men and women home from or entering college the opportunity to keep in shape during the summer," GHVSL President Jim Eleftherion said. "And despite the overcast skies, it was the perfect soccer day."
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.
The Women’s-Under-23 champion Manhattan Soccer Club.