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Lindenhurst Bulldogs Win the Boys-Under-14 Howard Rubenstein Cup

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By Randy Vogt, Director of Public Relations, Eastern New York Youth Soccer Association

June 9, 2018-Four goals from Nick Berneri made the difference as the Lindenhurst Bulldogs of the Long Island Junior Soccer League (LIJSL) shut out New York Surf Long Island of the Westchester Youth Soccer District (WYSD), 4-0. This Boys-Under-14 State Open Cup final for the Howard Rubenstein Cup was played on June 2 at Stringham Park in LaGrange.

Now living in Kentucky, 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.

Joey Blackton and Matt Star are Lindenhurst’s captains and Sean Ronessi got the shutout in goal.

Lindenhurst coach Jason Garguilo explained, “We started to trust one another and move the ball and that led us to the championship."

Lindenhurst also received the Rocco Amoroso Sportsmanship Award, as determined by the game officials. Amoroso, a US Soccer Life Member who died in 2016, started the LIJSL Sportsmanship Program in 1980 and it spread around the world.

Lindenhurst will represent the Eastern New York Youth Soccer Association (ENYYSA) 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.

Soccer Lifer Ray Wolfe Honored as Eastern New York’s Personality of the Month for February

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By Randy Vogt, Director of Public Relations, Eastern New York Youth Soccer Association

February 2, 2017-The Eastern New York Youth Soccer Association (ENYYSA) is very pleased to announce that Ray Wolfe is being honored as our Personality of the Month for February.

“We are very happy to honor Ray Wolfe as our Personality of the Month,“ commented Eastern New York President Richard Christiano. “He gave tirelessly of himself for decades as a player, coach, referee and administrator. With Ray, it was always about the kids!“

The soccer lifer and native of Ridgewood, Queens started playing for the Kolping Soccer Club and B/W Gottschee in the German-American Soccer League, now called the Cosmopolitan Soccer League (CSL). As a young father, Ray coached his son, Ray Jr., playing for B/W Gottschee in the CSL’s junior circuit, the Cosmopolitan Junior Soccer League (CJSL). Michael is his other son.

Ray began a stellar career as a referee in 1985 after he and his family moved to Franklin Square, Long Island. He quickly moved up the ranks from pee-wees to Long Island Junior Soccer League (LIJSL) youth games to amateur, professional and international matches. Ray officiated the World University Games in Niagara Falls in 1993 and did so well that he was assigned both a semifinal and the final. Two years later, he served as an assistant referee for the United Soccer League’s nationally-televised championship game.

He also excelled as a high school and college ref and was honored as the 2000 Official of the Year in the New York Metro Intercollegiate Soccer Officials Association (NYMISOA).

Ray volunteered for many years as a Trustee for the New York Soccer Referee Association. In 2009, he received a promotion to State Youth Referee Administrator (SYRA), and tirelessly canvassed the Empire State to develop Eastern New York’s youth referees until his retirement last month.

It has been said that beside every good man there is a good woman and the Wolfe family is no exception. Ray’s wife Hilda was a longtime Eastern New York staff member who was honored as the 2002 Region 1 Administrator of the Year. Both Ray and Hilda have been inducted into the Eastern New York Soccer Hall of Fame and this is a rarity as just one other husband-and-wife team, Phil and Bessie Lamonica, are Eastern New York Hall of Famers.

Ray and Hilda moved to Beach Lake, Pennsylvania three years ago and, unfortunately, living there, they do not get to see their grandkids as often as they would like. Kristiana was on a swim team, Tri-M, and Sean and Eric play for the West Babylon Soccer Club. Sean, 14 years old, also has become a referee.

“I enjoyed playing, coaching and officiating as well as my position as the SYRA, selecting referees for the State Cup Finals and Regional Tournaments and being there to watch them preform. I was always very proud to see these same referees advance up the ranks and watching them officiate at the national level,“ Ray stated. “I enjoy watching my grandsons play soccer and my oldest grandson referee intramural games. Thanks to Eastern New York President Richard Christiano and the entire Board as well as the office staff for all their support throughout the years.“

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.

Sabrina Rivera of Rock Tavern Receives the Jack Bauman Scholarship

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By Randy Vogt, Director of Public Relations, Eastern New York Youth Soccer Association

July 13, 2023-The Eastern New York Youth Soccer Association (ENYYSA) congratulates Sabrina Rivera, who is receiving a Jack Bauman Scholarship, which is based on success in high school as well as community service. The scholarship’s namesake is considered the father of women’s soccer on Long Island. He was devoted to the Massapequa Soccer Club and Eastern New York.

Sabrina played for the Washingtonville Soccer Club in the East Hudson Youth Soccer League (EHYSL). She was on the High Honor Roll at Washingtonville High School and volunteered for many Hudson Valley non-profits including Reenie’s Rabbit Rescue, St. Mary’s Church Vacation Bible School and Girls Scout Troop 456.

In her essay, the Rock Tavern resident wrote that “through sports, school and volunteer work, I’ve found my interests and my friends. My soccer career began when I was four years old playing Snoopy Soccer. Over the years, I’ve enjoyed mostly every moment on the field. Soccer has taught me how to handle setbacks, failures and adversity. As an athlete, I’ve faced injuries, losses and competitive pressure. I’ve learned to face obstaces even with roadblocks. With this, I’ve leraned that if I want something I have to go get it, because nobody is going to help me.“

We wish Sabrina the best at the University of Albany this fall.

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 10 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/

The Oceanside Strikers Are the New Boys-Under-13 State Open Cup Champs

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By Randy Vogt, Director of Public Relations, Eastern New York Youth Soccer Association

June 8, 2016-In the Boys-Under-13 State Open Cup final between two Long Island Junior Soccer League (LIJSL) teams, Oceanside Strikers registered an emphatic 5-1 win over Syosset Sao Paulo on June 4 at Stringham Park in LaGrange.

As Eastern New York Youth Soccer Association (ENYYSA) champs, Oceanside will play in the Regionals from June 30 to July 5 in Barboursville, West Virginia and Eastern New York will help pay for their costs.

“We changed our formation from 4-4-2 to 4-3-3, changed our shape and our tactics plus trained the past two weeks just on dealing with Syosset’s offside trap,” said Oceanside coach Paul Roderick.

David Cadet scored two goals, Ben Hakim, Christian Murcia and Brendan O’Donoghue had one goal apiece for Oceanside while Connor Thier scored for Syosset.

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.

LaGrange Freedom’s Haley Thoma Honored as the Patricia Louise Masotto and Brenda Driscoll Scholarship Recipient

By Randy Vogt, Director of Public Relations, Eastern New York Youth Soccer Association

July 28, 2014-The Eastern New York Youth Soccer Association (ENYYSA) is very pleased to announce that Haley Thoma is receiving the Patricia Louise Masotto and Brenda Driscoll Scholarship. The scholarship’s namesakes were best friends and top women’s soccer players from Massapequa, Long Island. Eastern New York set up a scholarship in their name after they were killed by a drunk driver in 1985.

Chris Lyn, Eastern New York’s 2013 Girls Competitive Coach of the Year, wrote, “I’ve had the pleasure of coaching Haley for the past three years. As a player, Haley is talented, bold and innovative. She combines her skills with a knowledge and passion for the game that is infectious to her teammates. However, perhaps what impresses me most about Haley is her drive and motivation to achieve only the highest standard of excellence in all aspects of her life.”

She did that at John Jay High School as she was on the High Honor Roll for all of her four years there. Haley received the President’s Award for Education Excellence, the Stephanie Atwell Mentoring Award, the New Student Mentoring Award, was a member of the START (Students Teaching All the Right Things) Club plus was captain of both the varsity soccer and basketball teams.

In the East Hudson Youth Soccer League (EHYSL), the Hopewell Junction resident played for premier teams LaGrange Freedom and Middlepath FC. She also competed for the Eastern New York Olympic Development Program (ODP) for four years. Haley volunteered her time with the LaGrange TOPSoccer Special Children’s Program, John Jay Youth Soccer Camps, St. Mary’s Tutoring, Adopt-a-Family and the Interact Club.

Haley wrote in her essay, “I have been playing soccer since before I could tie my shoes. Time has passed, my teams and coaches have changed, competition has become more intense and I have changed, but my love for the game has never swayed."

"To me, soccer is everything! Soccer has become our family’s bonding time and I wouldn’t have it any other way. My dad loves nothing more than to talk sports, so soccer provides us the chance to talk about what we both enjoy. Not only has soccer been a huge part of my family, but it has also introduced me to some of my very best friends––friends I can’t imagine life without!”

Good luck to Haley as she studies at and plays for the University of North Carolina-Charlotte this fall.

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. 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.

East Coast FC Win the Girls-Under-11 Challenge Cup

By Randy Vogt, Director of Public Relations, Eastern New York Youth Soccer Association

June 27, 2023-East Coast FC won the Eastern New York Youth Soccer Association (ENYYSA) Girls-Under-11 Challenge Cup by topping Downtown United Blue, 3-1, in the final on June 3 at Stringham Park in LaGrange. The Challenge Cup was presented by LifeVac, the choking rescue device that has saved over 900 lives and counting.

Sela DeDona, Sophia Paulo and Leah Sullivan scored East Coast’s goals.

“The difference was the aggressiveness of our players,” stated East Coast coach Angelo Lisena.

Downtown United Blue 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, making soccer games more disciplined.

Eastern New York Youth Soccer Association Names B/W Gottschee Coach Zeljko Subotic as Personality of the Month for April

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The B/W Gottschee Royals with Zeljko Subotic on the right

By Randy Vogt, Director of Public Relations, Eastern New York Youth Soccer Association

April 7, 2015-Congratulations to Cosmopolitan Junior Soccer League (CJSL) coach Zeljko Subotic, who is being honored by the Eastern New York Youth Soccer Association (ENYYSA) as our Personality of the Month for April. Zeljko has been coaching B/W Gottschee teams for the past four years in an exemplary coaching career that saw him coach his son, Neven Subotic, in two different countries as a boy before Neven played internationally.

Zeljko was born in the former Yugoslavia in what is now the independent nation of Bosnia and Herzegovina. He lived in Slovenia, then went back to Bosnia, and moved to Pforzheim, Germany, where he coached Neven as a child playing for TSV Schwarzenberg. In the late 1990s, the family's residence authorization in Germany expired and instead of returning to the war-torn Balkans, they opted to move to the United States in 1999. They settled in Salt Lake City, Utah, where Zeljko had a cousin.

Right after the turn of the millennium, the family was on the move again, this time to Bradenton, Florida, so that Zeljko’s other child, daughter Natalija, could play at the Nick Bollettieri Tennis Academy as she was a top tennis prospect. Bradenton is also the base for the United States Boys-Under-17 National Youth Team. Keith Fulk, one of the American team's assistant coaches, “discovered” Neven while playing in G.T. Bray Park. Zeljko had been coaching his son on the Manatee Magic Soccer Club in Florida.

While Neven went on to play for the United States National Youth Team, then for Serbia and has played for Borussia Dortmund of the Bundesliga since 2008, Zeljko continued coaching in the United States. Zeljko quipped, “My players see Neven playing on TV, therefore they like me.”

Such as the 2013 UEFA Champions League final, where Neven played all 90 minutes in the 2-1 loss to Bayern Munich. With the now 26-year-old playing in Germany, the Subotic family resettled to Middle Village. Natalija, now 27, took a position at Deutsche Bank and still plays tennis recreationally after playing in college for Pace University. Zeljko started coaching the boys and girls at Christ the King High School in Queens and boys teams at B/W Gottschee in the hope that kids from New York City will have the same opportunities that his son has received. He’s coached at B/W Gottschee since 2011 and during the summer, when kids are off from school, he volunteers his time by training children at Juniper Park every morning.

“Zeljko is a person who is humble, patient and a tireless worker,” commented CJSL President Dimitrie Draguca. “He trains two teams, three times a week back-to-back, and on his off days, if he is not at games with either team, you can find him on the field doing small group sessions or one-on-one training with players. Additionally, I’ve noticed coaches at many times seeking his wisdom and advice.”

In the past year, Zeljko has coached the Boys-Under-10 B/W Gottschee Royals and Boys-Under-14 B/W Gottschee Blue, winning many tournament titles along the way. Congratulations to Zeljko Subotic, Eastern New York’s Personality of the Month for April.

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 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.

84 Soccer Players From Eastern New York Make the Regional Pool

By Randy Vogt, Director of Public Relations, Eastern New York Youth Soccer Association

August 24, 2016-The Eastern New York Youth Soccer Association (ENYYSA) is very proud to announce that 84 of our Olympic Development Program (ODP) players––43 boys and 41 girls––tried out and made the Region 1 ODP Pool, which is made up of players from Maine to Virginia and West Virginia. These local players, enough to fill seven soccer teams, come from all over Eastern New York, from both North ODP (Upstate) and South ODP (Downstate).

Eastern New York ODP Chairperson Jim Volpe stated, “I am very proud about placing 84 of our ODP players in the Regional Pool. I’m especially happy that we doubled the number of North ODP players in the Regional Pool from 12 players last year to 24 this year.“

ODP is considered the highest level of competition in the state. Every year, players must be re-evaluated by the ODP professional staff of coaches for a position on each age-specific team. The identification process ends each summer with the most elite players within Region 1 competing for a position on the regional team, which is what US Women’s National Team players Crystal Dunn and Allie Long had advanced to when they were teens playing in Eastern New York. Players are then identified by US Soccer staff coaches for possible entry to the national teams program. Yet even those players who do not make Region 1 or the national teams often use ODP as a path to college scholarships and even on to professional soccer.

The players from Eastern New York in the Regional Pool:

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Edit: Matthew Sloan, is missing from the U17 Boys list, but has also been accepted into the Region 1 pool. There are 85 Eastern New York Players in the Region 1 pool.

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.

44 Division and 4 Scholarship Winners Honored at the East Hudson Dinner of Champions

By Randy Vogt, Director of Public Relations, Eastern New York Youth Soccer Association

July 19, 2017-The East Hudson Youth Soccer League (EHYSL) hosts the largest awards dinner for teams annually in the Eastern New York Youth Soccer Association (ENYYSA). The EHYSL Dinner of Champions has become a July tradition that extends back almost to the league’s founding four decades ago.

44 division champion teams and four scholarship recipients were honored on July 11 and 12 at Anthony’s Pier 9 in New Windsor. A crowd of nearly 1,400 attended over the two nights. Present on July 12 was New York City FC defender Maxime Chanot, who gracefully posed for photos with seemingly every player at the dinner.

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From left to right: EHYSL Board Member Bill Brown, EHYSL Past President Ken Gulmi, NYCFC defender Maxime Chanot, EHYSL First Vice President Jim Eleftherion, EHYSL President Jim Purdy

“I don’t know of anybody in soccer who holds a dinner as large as this one to honor their champions,” commented EHYSL President Jim Purdy. “We thank and honor our coaches and volunteers whose patience, direction and soccer expertise allow our children to enjoy this great game. We also want to recognize and especially thank the parents who write the checks, do the chauffeuring, nurse the bumps and bruises and cheer on the sidelines, no matter the weather.”

The coaches of the 44 champion teams discussed their squad and introduced the players. A common theme for many of the squads is the players were unhappy with how they had done the previous season so the kids worked really hard and put together a championship season. Special kudos to the Boys-Under-14 Liberty Red Devils, who went from 0-10-0 to 10-0-0 in Division 4.

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The Boys-Under-16 Division 2 Dover Terminators, who have won three consecutive division titles

All four scholarship winners decided to continue their education at colleges in New York State. The Michael Goldberg Memorial Scholarship Award recipients are Linzy Dineen (Syracuse University) and Alexa Franceschi (Mount Saint Mary College). Michael was a 15-year-old boy playing in the EHYSL for the Chappaqua Soccer Club when he died of leukemia and his family started the scholarship to honor his fulfilling yet brief life.

The Dan Herbst Memorial Scholarship Award winners are Birch Lazo-Murphy (Syracuse University) and Emily Mildner (Utica College). The scholarship namesake also died from leukemia, in 2001. Dan was a longtime soccer journalist and author, past president of the Yorktown Soccer Club and in his first term as EHYSL President when he passed away at age 48.

“These four scholarship winners exhibited excellence not only on the soccer field but in the classroom and in their communities as well,” concluded President Purdy.

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Two Division 1 champion teams from Warwick: Boys-Under-12 Warwick Revolution and Girls-Under-12 Warwick Wildcatz.

The photos from both nights are linked here.

Quickstrike NL Blue Win the Boys-Under-18 State Open Cup Title and the Ray Wolfe Cup

By Randy Vogt, Director of Public Relations, Eastern New York Youth Soccer Association

June 22, 2021-The Boys-Under-18 State Open Cup final on June 6 at Stringham Park in LaGrange was an intriguing match-up between teams from the Hudson Valley and Long Island. Quickstrike NL Blue from the Hudson Valley doubled up on the Long Island Soccer Club Boys Academy, 4-2, to win the Ray Wolfe Cup.

The cup’s honoree played in the Cosmopolitan Soccer League, coached in the Cosmopolitan Junior Soccer League (CJSL) and was State Youth Referee Administrator (SYRA) of the Eastern New York Youth Soccer Association (ENYYSA) for nearly a decade before passing away for years ago.

Quickstrike will represent Eastern New York at the East Regionals from June 25 to July 1 at Hammonton, New Jersey as part of the National Championship Series.

Long Island was selected by game officials to receive the Rocco Amoroso Sportsmanship Award. Nicknamed Mr. Sportsmanship, Rocco founded the Long Island Junior Soccer League (LIJSL) Sportsmanship Program in 1980 and it was copied around the world. He served as Chairperson of Eastern New York’s Hall of Fame Committee until his passing in 2016 at the age of 89.

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