By Randy Vogt, Director of Public Relations, Eastern New York Youth Soccer Association
June 15, 2026-The Girls-Under-11 Platinum Challenge Cup final for supremacy in the Eastern New York Youth Soccer Association (ENYYSA) was an interesting affair as the two teams from Long Island playing one another are only 10 miles apart yet had never met on a soccer field before. Atlantic United Cyclones defeated Hauppauge United, 5-0, on Saturday, May 30 at the Blue Sky Sports Complex in Middletown.
Emma Lipani scored two goals plus Meadow Garbedian, Nadia Leonard and Lucy Pracher each added one. Antlatic United keeper Sadie Silva recorded the shutout in net.
“It was hard to break down Hauppauge in the first half but we eventually did,” Atlantic United coach Matt Mannino explained. “We got more confidence, played some nice combinations and played really nice soccer.”
Hauppauge 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 a decade ago, 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.
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, east of Route 81. ENYYSA encourages 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 US Soccer and US Youth Soccer. For more information, please log on to http://www.enysoccer.com/