By Randy Vogt, Director of Public Relations, Eastern New York Youth Soccer Association
June 10, 2018-Rotterdam United Premier of the Capital District Youth Soccer League (CDYSL) won the Eastern New York Premier League (ENYPL) title last year and they added the Girls-Under-15 State Open Cup trophy, named the Jack Bauman Cup, on June 2. This Eastern New York Youth Soccer Association (ENYYSA) final was played at Stringham Park in LaGrange as they shut out New York Surf Academy of the Westchester Youth Soccer District (WYSD), 1-0.
The cup’s namesake, Jack Bauman, is considered the father of women’s soccer on Long Island. Jack was devoted to the Massapequa Soccer Club, Eastern New York and making sure that girls had as many opportunities to play soccer as boys did.
Rotterdam coach Scott Byrne explained, “Our win was because of the effort of the girls. They made it their goal to get into the Top 10 in the state, which in Eastern New York is very competitive."
Gianna Viscusi scored the game’s only goal while keeper Deanna Lopez got the shutout.
New York Surf did not go home empty-handed as they 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 around the world.
Rotterdam will represent Eastern New York at the Regionals from June 29 to July 3 in Spotsylvania, Virginia as part of the National Championship Series.
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.