News

Segreto, Senise and Wolyniec Inducted Into the SIYSL Hall of Fame

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

April 6, 2026-The Staten Island Youth Soccer League (SIYSL), the southernmost league in the Eastern New York Youth Soccer Association (ENYYSA), celebrated three new Hall of Famers on March 5 at LiGreci’s The Staaten.

From left to right: SIYSL Hall of Fame Committee member Rich Nellis, Peter Senise, New York City Councilman Frank Marano, Mike Segreto, SIYSL President Diana DiLeo, SIYSL Hall of Fame Committee member Otto Horstmann

Mike Segreto coached soccer and softball teams at St. Joseph Hill Academy from 1995 to 2013. Mike also served as the Assistant Director of St Joseph Hill Academy from 2004 to 2013. In 2009, Mike was appointed Trustee to the SIYSL Board and began serving as the SIYSL Representative to ENYYSA. The following year, Mike was elected to SIYSL Board as a Vice President and served until 2021, volunteering as Chairperson of numerous committees including Games, Coaches Training and Education, TOPSoccer, Senior Night, Friendship Games, Field Committee, Disciplinary Committee as well as the Hall of Fame. Mike, along with Rob Libertelli, Rich Nellis, Anthony Pisciottano and Bill Smith, established the Staten Island SC travel program which operates as the lone travel organization that is a member club of SIYSL.

In 2011, Mike was appointed ENYYSA Trustee and was then elected as a Vice President and currently holds that same position. Mike currently is Chairperson of the Competition (State Cup) and Disciplinary committees.

Peter Senise has been a well-respected soccer coach on Staten Island for the past four decades. He has served as the St. Joseph By the Sea boys varsity assistant coach since 2003, winning two New York City high school championship titles along the way. As assistant coach for the Staten Island United Knights from 2006 to 2014, they won two Pocono Cups and the Boys-Under-15 State Cup. Peter also served as assistant coach for Silver Lake Korabi and the Silver Lake Spirits in the 1990’s and both teams won the Cosmopolitan Junior Soccer League (CJSL) division championship. From 1988 to ’94, Peter volunteered as co-coach of the St. John Neumann Thundercats, who won five A Division titles.

John Wolyniec, already an Eastern New York Hall of Famer, is one of the best soccer players to ever come out of Staten Island. He began playing with SIYSL in the St. Clare Soccer Club and then moved on to Silver Lake, then Monsignor Farrell High School and Fordham University. John scored 62 goals in 267 MLS games for the MetroStars, Chicago Fire, Columbus Crew and Los Angeles Galaxy. John then became a coach with the Red Bulls Academy, leading Red Bulls II to the regular season and playoff championship in 2016. Since 2022, John has served as Technical Director of the San Jose Earthquakes.

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/

Announcing Gotham FC x ENYYSA in 2026

March 26, 2026-We’re excited to officially announce a new partnership between the Eastern New York Youth Soccer Association (ENYYSA), our Member Leagues, and Gotham FC, built around a shared goal of building the sport of soccer for youth players in our backyard.

Gotham FC, the reigning National Women’s Soccer League (NWSL) champion, is working with ENYYSA to create unforgettable experiences for ENYYSA players, families, coaches, and leaders here in our community. There will be special opportunities for ENYYSA to attend Gotham FC matches and engage with the club through special events, clinics, and celebrations throughout the year. Want to stay in the loop? Sign up here to be the first to know.

Up first? Gotham FC is planning a historic, record-breaking match at Citi Field on July 15th: The Queens Classic. This iconic match is an official ENYYSA Outing, complete with special offers, unique experiences, and discounted pricing, only for you.

Here’s why you’ll want to come:

ENYYSA groups get discounted tickets (just $20!) to sit together and enjoy this 2025 Championship rematch at the iconic Citi Field.
ENYYSA award winners and top players will be honored on the pitch in a special celebration.
Every member of the ENYYSA community will receive a special Gotham FC merch item.
The ENYYSA club that brings out the most fans will receive an autographed Gotham FC jersey and a suite at another Gotham FC home match.

Ready to get tickets? For a group of 10 or fewer, select your seats here. For a larger group, inquire here.

More special opportunities are coming soon, only for ENYYSA families. Sign up here to be the first to hear about future Gotham FC x ENYYSA outings, clinics, and events.

Here’s to continuing to build the next generation of players together. ¡Vamos!

Sean Mahoney Selected to the ODP National Team For the Second Consecutive Year

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

April 16, 2026-The Eastern New York Youth Soccer Association (ENYYSA) is pleased to announce that Sean Mahoney has been selected to the Olympic Development Program (ODP) National Team for the second year in a row.

His best experience with ODP so far has been travelling to Italy last year (photo above) with the ODP National Team to play in the 44th Annual Maggoni Righi Torneo Internazionale di Calcio, where they played pro academy teams such as Juventus and US Catanzaro 1921.

Sean has played for Eastern New York ODP from Under-12 through Under-18, the East Region three times and was the East Region team’s captain this past year.

From his midfield position, Sean helped lead New York Hota Bavarian 2008 Blue to the State Cup and Regional championship last year as well as the semifinals of Nationals.

He was a three-year varsity starter at Oceanside High School and captained the Sailors last fall to the Conference AAA championship and was named Class AAA Player of the Year, All-County, All-State, All-Region while leading Class AAA with 17 assists.

The Oceanside resident hopes to continue scoring golazos (like this one for Hota during the 2025 Regional Final) for SUNY Cortland this fall.

ODP is the highest level of play in every state association. Eastern New York has a particularly strong ODP and three current members of the US Women’s National Team––Sam Coffey, Claire Hutton and Phallon Tullis-Joyce––all developed their skills playing in our program.

Our players’ immense talent will be on display when Eastern New York hosts the 6th Annual ODP Sub Regional on April 25 and 26 at Afrim’s Sports Park in Colonie.

Nicholas Gentile Selected to the ODP National Team For the Second Consecutive Year

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

April 9, 2026-The Eastern New York Youth Soccer Association (ENYYSA) is pleased to announce that Nicholas Gentile has been selected to the Olympic Development Program (ODP) National Team.

Nick’s composure on the ball and high work rate allow him to dominate midfield play for ODP, club team East Coast Surf 2010 and school team St. Anthony’s High School, where he has a GPA over 100. The St. James resident has played for Eastern New York ODP for three years and the ODP National Team for two years.

Nick Gentile is on the left playing for St. Anthony’s High School. Photo courtesy of the Gentile family.

“I have thoroughly enjoyed and moreover, appreciate my experience with the entire ODP staff and team members, realizing that much of my growth as a player has come from my time with this program,” Nick stated.

Our players’ immense talent will be on display when Eastern New York hosts the 6th Annual ODP Sub Regional on April 25 and 26 at Afrim’s Sports Park in Colonie.

ODP Sub Regional to Be Played on April 25 and 26 in Colonie

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

April 7, 2026-The Olympic Development Program (ODP) is the highest level of play in each state association. Under the direction of Wayne Fortino, the Eastern New York Youth Soccer Association (ENYYSA) has a particularly strong program and current US Women’s National Team players Sam Coffey, Claire Hutton and Phallon Tullis-Joyce are all Eastern New York ODP alumnae.

Eastern New York is pleased to announce that our 6th Annual ODP Sub Regional will take place on April 25 and 26 at Afrim’s Sports Park in Colonie. Hosting are the North and South Olympic Development Program (ODP) teams from Eastern New York. Because the geographic region of our state association is quite large, we feature both North and South ODP teams.

The Under-12 to Under-17 boys will be playing on Saturday, April 25 while the girls in those same age groups will be competing on Sunday, April 26. The other state associations participating are Connecticut, Massachusetts, Maine, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York West and Vermont.

College coaches and regional coaches will be scouting the players participating a month before the ODP Regional ID Tournament, making the coaches’ job a little easier in evaluating these top players.

Four Longtime Volunteers Inducted Into the LIJSL Hall of Fame

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

March 31, 2026-The Long Island Junior Soccer League (LIJSL), the largest league in the Eastern New York Youth Soccer Association (ENYYSA), inducted four longtime members into the LIJSL Hall of Fame on Sunday, March 29 at the Stonebridge Country Club in Smithtown.

From left to right: Jim San Filippo, Pete Bussa, Ilana Strauch (daughter of Efi Domb) and Steve Padaetz

The Levittown Soccer Club is celebrating its 50th Anniversary in 2026 and Jim San Filippo has been volunteering for the club for 42 of those 50 years. He has been a longtime coach, referee and has served as Levittown Soccer Club President for the past decade. Most importantly, Jim has been a mentor for the many young athletes who have come through the club, teaching them not only about the game, but instilling valuable life lessons.

Pete Bussa coached three LIJSL teams and won a total of 15 LIJSL division titles and 7 Long Island Cups, then became a well-respected mentor for young coaches. Pete volunteered as Oceanside United’s President from 1994 to 2002. He started Oceanside’s Special Needs TOPSoccer Program 35 years ago when one of the boys he coached had a sister with Down syndrome who wanted to play soccer. Pete is currently volunteering as TOPSoccer Chairperson for Eastern New York.

Efi Domb passed away in 2017 from pancreatic cancer but his impact on Long Island soccer has not been forgotten. Efi coached his two daughters in the New Hyde Park Wildcats Soccer Club, where he was a beloved coach and trainer, and after they graduated from high school, he became a top referee, even being honored as the Long Island Soccer Referees Association (LISRA) Referee of the Year in 2016. His “real job” was running a successful locksmith company and after 9/11, he spent days at Ground Zero helping store owners lock their shops to protect against looters.

Steve Padaetz served with Oceanside United for over 30 years, and he was President, Vice President, Secretary and then Director at Large. He developed and published club newsletter Net News, and then when the technology changed, he managed the redesign of the club website. He coached six travel teams, diverse intramural squads and created the Nassau Development Program, which comprised of 15 clubs playing non-results oriented Under-8 and Under-9 games. Steve then volunteered on the LIJSL and Eastern New York Board of Directors, he chaired many committees too numerous to list here and is now the Chief Club Administrator of the Massapequa Soccer Club.

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/

The State Cup Marches Into Spring

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

March 20, 2026-This first day of spring is most welcome after a very snowy winter where much of New York State received three times more snow than average. Our soccer fields are drying out and the State Cup in the Eastern New York Youth Soccer Association (ENYYSA) is being played.

The first two rounds are in March. Round 3 is scheduled for Saturday, April 18, the quarterfinals are on Saturday, May 2 with the semifinals on Saturday, May 16. All those rounds are played at the home teams’ field.

The finals are at a neutral site, the Blue Sky Sports Complex in Middletown, which is centrally-located in Eastern New York. Championship Day is Saturday, May 30 and 22 state champion teams will be crowned that day.

There are two different cup competitions in Eastern New York. The US Youth Soccer ENYYSA State Cup Championship (formerly the State Open Cup) is for the top teams and it’s the pathway to Nationals. There are no Regionals anymore and State Cup Championship teams go directly to Nationals.

The Challenge Cup is for all teams at Under-10 and Under-11 as there is not a State Cup Championship in those age groups. For Under-12 and Under-13, it’s for mid- to lower-tier squads.

For more info about the State Cup, please phone the ENYYSA office at 516-766-0849.

Angelo O’Connor Selected to Play For the ODP National Team

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

April 2, 2026-The Eastern New York Youth Soccer Association (ENYYSA) is very pleased to announce that Angelo O’Connor has been selected to the Olympic Development Program (ODP) National Team.

The Scotia resident, from a very young age, fell in love playing with a soccer ball and would pass it between his feet all the time, even sometimes when eating meals with his family. This helped develop his exquisite ball skills that Angelo has used mainly as a left wing for ODP, club team NY Elite and Scotia-Glenville High School. Now in 9th Grade, Angelo started playing for the high school boys varsity soccer Spartans since 7th Grade against opponents much older and bigger than he is.

Angelo playing for the Scotia-Glenville High School Spartans. Photo courtesy of the O’Connor family.

“I have enjoyed my time playing ODP,” Angelo stated. “Each step in the ODP process has brought wonderful moments, like when I was picked to attend the ID Camp last summer. After the ID Camp, I moved on to the Inter-Regional Program, where I played against other ODP Regional Teams. But the biggest moment was when we received the e-mail that I had made the ODP National Team and will be traveling to play in Portugal this spring.”

Austin Sheehan Selected to the ODP National Team for the Second Consecutive Year

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

March 24, 2026-The Olympic Development Program (ODP) is the highest level of play in every state association. The Eastern New York Youth Soccer Association (ENYYSA) has a particularly strong ODP and three current members of the US Women’s National Team––Sam Coffey, Claire Hutton and Phallon Tullis-Joyce––all developed their skills playing Eastern New York ODP.

North Merrick resident Austin Sheehan has played Eastern New York ODP since 2020 and been selected to the ODP National Team for the second consecutive year. His soccer resume is very impressive as he helped lead New York Hota Bavarian 2008 Blue to the State Cup and Regional championship last year as well as the semifinals of Nationals.

At Calhoun High School, the 6’3” goalkeeper is a member of the National Honor Society and Honor Roll. Austin led the Colts to two consecutive conference championships, played in the Rising Juniors Game in 2024 and the Exceptional Seniors Game in 2025. He was selected both All-Region and All-State in 2025, All County in 2024 and ’25, Conference Goalkeeper of the Year in both ’24 and ’25, received the Al Freeman Best Goalkeeper Award last year and was one of the Newsday Top 100 Boys Soccer Players on Long Island.

Austin said that “the best moments of my ODP career have been the Inter-Regional events and the National event. The Inter-Regional event connected me with many new faces that have helped me turn into the player I am today, and the National event gave me the most competitive soccer I have ever played before.”

Austin will be looking to post many more shutouts in goal, and in the future it will be for the Hawks of SUNY-New Paltz starting this fall.

Three Youth Leagues Compete in the Inaugural Kontonis Esperanza Cup

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

March 19, 2026-Selected Division 2 teams from the Cosmopolitan Junior Soccer League (CJSL), Big Apple Youth Soccer League (BAYSL) and Metrokids Youth Soccer League (MYSL) got together on Sunday, March 8 at Flushing-Meadows Park to play in the first-ever Kontonis Esperanza Cup.

“The Kontonis Esperanza Cup was named for the late Paul Kontonis, whose vision as President of the CJSL was rooted in unity, opportunity and community,” said Jonathan Puma, Second Vice President of the CJSL. “Paul believed deeply that the Beautiful Game can unite leagues and communities across New York City. This competition proudly carries forward his passion and his hope.”

This vision of unity was echoed across the other participating Eastern New York Youth Soccer Association (ENYYSA) leagues.

“I would like to thank the gentlemen organizing this tournament and for inviting Metrokids. This competition honors Kontonis—a father, brother and friend who dedicated himself to the youth as a soccer coach. Paul envisioned a Champions’ Championship that would unite our leagues. We welcome this new competition in his honor and are confident it will grow year after year with the support of our affiliated leagues,” explained Metrokids President Cesar Juca.

“The Big Apple Youth Soccer League was honored to participate in the Kontonis Esperanza Cup. We’re excited to join fellow leagues in celebrating youth soccer through sportsmanship, collaboration and meaningful competition, and we look forward to building lasting connections on and off the field,” stated BAYSL President Carlos Vergara.

While Paul Kontonis was a proud Greek-American, the “Esperanza” in the cup’s name comes from the Spanish word for hope. It is the hope of the three leagues playing that the Kontonis Esperanza Cup will expand in future seasons to include additional age groups and participation within the girls city program, creating more opportunities across leagues.

The champion teams were ARB SC 2013, FC Copa Academy Brooklyn B13 Black, Guerreros FC 2015, Mike’s FC 2015, South Brooklyn FC 2014 and Success Academy 2014B.

All photos courtesy of the Cosmopolitan Junior Soccer League