By Randy Vogt, Director of Public Relations, Eastern New York Youth Soccer Association
August 29, 2019-There are two levels to the State Cup in the Eastern New York Youth Soccer Association (ENYYSA).
The State Open Cup, part of the National Championship Series, is open to any registered team in the state as the name implies but is primarily for top-tier teams in Eastern New York. The age groups are Under-12 to Under-19, both boys and girls. It’s a single-elimination tournament that starts and concludes in the spring.
The Challenge Cup is also a single-elimination tournament. For Under-10 and Under-11, both boys and girls, it’s open to any team as there is not a State Open Cup in these age groups and there are two flights of competition promoting a fair game environment. The Challenge Cup Platinum in these younger age groups is for Premier Division and Division 1 teams while Challenge Cup Gold is for Division 2 and below.
The registration deadline is September 8 with the first round to be played on the weekend of September 21 and 22, the second round on October 5 and 6 and the third round on October 26 and 27. The quarterfinals, semis and finals are scheduled for the spring.
The Challenge Cup for Under-12 to Under-16 teams, both boys and girls, is specifically designed for mid- to lower-tiered teams seeking the State Cup experience. The opening rounds, quarterfinals, semifinals and finals will all be played in the spring.
Championship Weekend for both the State Open Cup and Challenge Cup is on May 30 and 31, 2020 at a neutral venue to be selected. This year was the first time that all the championship games were played on one weekend and that will continue since it worked out so well.
The Challenge Cup was known as the Arch Cup for the past decade and we would like to thank our friends at Arch Capital Group for their financial support during this time.
To register for the State Open Cup, click http://www.enysoccer.com/state_cups/statewide_tournament/
To register for the Under-10 and Under-11 age groups in the Challenge Cup, log on to http://www.enysoccer.com/eny_challenge_cup/
For more information, please contact the Eastern New York office at 516-766-0849.
With approximately 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 nine 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 on to http://www.enysoccer.com/, which receives nearly 300,000 hits annually from the growing soccer community.