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

June 28, 2017-Two goals by Jack Ricciardi led the Smithtown Explosion of the Long Island Junior Soccer League (LIJSL) to a 2-1 win over the Washingtonville Golden Lions of the East Hudson Youth Soccer League (EHYSL) in the Boys-Under-12 Arch Cup Platinum final. This Eastern New York Youth Soccer Association (ENYYSA) championship game was played on Saturday, June 3 at Stringham Park in LaGrange.

“We won the 50-50 balls and were very aggressive going forward, plus I thought that our defense played a very smart game,” explained Smithtown coach Mike LaCarrubba.

Smithtown added the Rocco Amoroso Sportsmanship Award as determined by the game officials to their growing trophy case. Amoroso, a US Soccer Life Member who died last year, started the Sportsmanship Program of the LIJSL 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.

Eastern New York would like to thank our title sponsor, Arch Capital Group, which writes insurance and reinsurance on a worldwide basis through operations in the United States, Bermuda, Canada and Europe, with a focus on specialty lines. 

“This cup competition is a great event in that it gives young people an opportunity to experience high levels of competition. And you don’t have to be the best team in the state to win a championship with the Arch Cup,” said Brian Hughes, Senior Vice President and Chief Actuary of Arch Capital.

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 11 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 United States Youth Soccer Association. For more information, please log onto http://www.enysoccer.com/, which receives nearly 300,000 hits annually from the growing soccer community.