Randy Vogt and Joan Czach contributed to this story
A remarkable 13 LIJSL teams won State Open Cup Championships this past weekend, an impressive number that reflects the high level of soccer currently being played on Long Island. For each team that is moving on to the Regional Championships, the Long Island Junior Soccer League will be providing $1,000 to offset the cost of the trip to the players. Those games will take place July 1st-5th in Lancaster, PA.
Among the highlights was the HBC Impact Girls-Under-12 team shutting out the Albertson Red ‘98 Fury, 1-0, in an all-Long Island final of the State Open Cup at Stringham Park in LaGrange, New York on June 4. Scoring the goal was Daniella D’Acunto who headed in a cross by Bridget Patch off a short corner kick from Becca Schreiner.
HBC coach Bill G. Carroll said, “I know that Albertson and coach Danny Leon will be here again in the final. I hope that we’re here to play you!”
The Dix Hills Elite were 4-1 winners over the Clarkstown ‘98 Boys in the Boys-Under-13 State Open Cup championship, also on June 4. Dix Hills, a Long Island Junior Soccer League team, just finished its first Northeast Regional Premier League season with a 3-2-3 record.
“We’ve been peaking at the right time and our team is focused,” commented Dix Hills coach Cordt Weinstein, who was a pro with the Long Island Rough Riders from 1993 to 2003. While players such as Chris Armas, Tony Meola, Paul Riley, Jim Rooney, and Giovanni Savarese received the publicity, Weinstein was one of the squad’s top scorers while leading the Rough Riders to two national titles.
The Massapequa Crush, the Girls-Under-13 State Open Cup champions, defeated the Dix Hills Panthers, 4-1 in another all Long Island final. The teams know each other well as they compete against each other in the fall and spring, as well as in the Long Island Futsal League. Massapequa recently finished second in the Northeast Regional Premier League.
“In the first half, we were not as organized as we were nervous,” commented Massapequa coach Paul Yarde. “We settled down and our confidence grew after our second goal very early in the second half.”
In the Boys-Under-14 State Open Cup final Smithtown Arsenal took Manhattan, 2-0, to win the State title after finishing 2nd to Manhattan in league play this spring.
“I’m so proud of these guys. We just have to continue the hard work,” commented Smithtown coach Dan McDonnell.
The 3rd time was a charm for the Farmingdale United – actually, so were the 1st and 2nd times. The Girls-Under-14 State Open Cup champs won their third State Cup championship for Farmingdale. The squad defeated Manhattan Hotspur, 2-1, on June 4 in LaGrange, New York.
“We love playing the Hotspurs,” commented Farmingdale coach Brian Mulcahy. “We have been playing them since we were Under-9 and we hope to be back in the finals again with them next year.”
Farmingdale, a Long Island Junior Soccer League team, finished in second place in the recently-concluded Region 1 Premier League season.
Massapequa had another champion in the Boys-Under-15 age group. The Massapequa Arsenal shut out Manhattan St.-Paris Germain, 1-0 in the final.
“We had a really good game plan which almost worked,” commented Arsenal coach and LIJSL Select PDP Assistant Director Tobias Bischof.
Finally, the East Meadow Sparks captured the Girls-Under-15 crown with a 1-0 shutout of World Class FC ‘95 Carter. The Long Island Junior Soccer League team, which recently finished third in the Northeast Regional Premier League, scored on an Olimpico goal off a corner kick by Emily Aguedelo just before halftime.
“The key to winning the game was making adjustments during the first half to relieve the pressure of World Class FC,” commented Sparks coach Tobias Bischof, who led two teams to state titles. “The goal came at the right time giving us the lead at halftime.”
Congratulations to ALL of our State Champion Teams!
Boys U13 Dix Hills Elite
Boys U14 Smithtown Arsenal
Boys U15 Massapequa Arsenal
Boys U16 NPT/CH Sound
Boys U18 Garden City Gladiators
Girls U12 HBC Impact
Girls U13 Massapequa Crush
Girls U14 Farmingdale United
Girls U15 East Meadow Sparks
Girls U16 East Meadow United
Girls U17 Albertson 93 Fury
Girls U18 Syosset Sting '92 Elite
Girls U19 91 Albertson Fury
The Challenge Cup Finals will also be played next weekend at the Peter C. Collins Soccer Park. Good luck to all the teams!