By Randy Vogt, Director of Public Relations, Eastern New York Youth Soccer Association
June 5, 2014-In the Girls-Under-13 State Open Cup final between two Long Island Junior Soccer League (LIJSL) teams, the New Hyde Park Firecats defeated Huntington’s HBC Sudden Impact in a shootout. After tying 1-1 in regulation, New Hyde Park advanced from the shootout, 3-1. The championship game took place on Saturday, May 31 at Stringham Park in LaGrange.
New Hyde Park’s Izzy Glennon beat three defenders and chipped the HBC keeper to equalize after HBC’s Ryan Conway scored in the first half.
“HBC dominated the first half with having the strong wind at their backs,” commented New Hyde Park coach Steve Price. “But we had the better of play in the second half with the wind.”
These two great teams are roughly equal in ability as New Hyde Park defeated HBC in the final last year, 4-2, but needed overtime to do it.
New Hyde Park received a $2,000 check from Eastern New York to defer the costs of playing in the Regionals from June 26 to July 1 in Kingston, Rhode Island. The new Eastern New York Youth Soccer Association (ENYYSA) champions also received the Howard Rubinstein Sportsmanship Award. Now retired, 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.
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 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 Special Children. 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.