By Randy Vogt, Director of Public Relations, Eastern New York Youth Soccer Association
June 13, 2026-For Patchogue/Medford United coach James Bentley, it was deja vu all over again.
As a youth soccer player, his team won the state championship by defeating a Clarkstown team in a penalty kick shootout. Decades later as a youth soccer coach, he led his Patchogue-Medford United to the state title over Clarkstown with the only goal of the game scored on a penalty kick.
On May 30, 2026, Patchogue-Medford topped Clarkstown White EDP Furlong, 1-0, in the Boys-Under-10 Platinum Challenge Cup final at the Blue Sky Sports Complex in Middletown for supremacy in the Eastern New York Youth Soccer Association (ENYYSA).
Fabian Bedoya scored on a penalty kick and keeper Andrew Przedwiecki had the shutout in goal.
“We wanted to move the ball better than we were able to do so against a strong Clarkstown team,” Coach Bentley explained.
Clarkstown 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, 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, 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/