By Randy Vogt, Director of Public Relations, Eastern New York Youth Soccer Association
June 24, 2022-In an Eastern New York Youth Soccer Association (ENYYSA) championship game between two teams from Long Island, Valencia CF Academy Orange defeated the Garden City Wolfpack, 5-1, in the Boys-Under-10 Platinum Challenge Cup final on June 4 at Stringham Park in LaGrange.
Julien Santopadre scored two goals while Marcello Crane, Hana Navine and Jagan Singaram added one goal each.
“We train very hard,” explained Valencia coach Leigh Pilkington. “Garden City had the better of play the first 15 minutes, then we started moving the ball well.”
Garden City received the Rocco Amoroso Sportsmanship Award, as determined by the game officials. Amoroso, a US Soccer Life Member who died in 2016, 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 approximately 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 nine 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/