By Randy Vogt, Director of Public Relations, Eastern New York Youth Soccer Association
June 16, 2026-The Hauppauge Strikers persevered in coming from behind in both regulation and the shootout on May 30 in the Boys-Under-12 Challenge Cup final at the Blue Sky Sports Complex in Middletown.
Hauppauge tied Elites United Pythons, 3-3, in regulation and won the shootout, 4-3, to bring the Challenge Cup home to Long Island.
“We could not contain them at the start, but we played with a lot of heart, got some confidence and came from behind after being down, 2-0, in the first five minutes,” Hauppauge coach Gennaro Iamunno explained.
Ethan Augustin, Dean Georgalas and Parker Mannino scored Hauppauge’s goals in regulation.
Elites United 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 the Eastern New York Youth Soccer Association (ENYYSA), nationally and then to China and Ireland, making 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, 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/