By Randy Vogt, Director of Public Relations, Eastern New York Youth Soccer Association
June 15, 2025-Soccer Kids NYC of the Cosmopolitan Junior Soccer League (CJSL) defeated the Beacon Beasts of the Hudson Valley Youth Soccer League (HVYSL), 5-2, in overtime in the Boys-Under-12 Challenge Cup final. This Eastern New York Youth Soccer Association (ENYYSA) final was played on June 1 at the Blue Sky Sports Complex in Middletown.
“They were hungry,” explained Soccer Kids NYC coach Eric Cevallos. “We lost in the final on penalty kicks last year. After Beacon scored to tie it up at 2-2 and send the game into overtime, we talked about it and then scored three goals in overtime.”
Lucas Miranda, Khaled Mahmoud, Oliver Liu, Miguel Cordero and Gerell Hoyte each scored one goal for Soccer Kids NYC.
Soccer Kids NYC will also be bringing back the Rocco Amoroso Sportsmanship Award, as determined by the game officials, to New York City. 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 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 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 US Youth Soccer. For more information, please log onto http://www.enysoccer.com/