By Randy Vogt, Director of Public Relations, Eastern New York Youth Soccer Association
The State Cup has two different competitions––the State Open Cup for Premier and the top travel teams plus the Arch Capital Group Challenge Cup for other travel teams not yet considered elite. Both competitions are run by the Eastern New York Youth Soccer Association (ENYYSA). 971 teams––533 boys squads and 438 girls teams––are playing in the State Cup this spring.
Most of the State Cup games are played in springtime but the Arch Capital Group Challenge Cup for Boys-Under-12 and Girls-Under-12 teams kicked off on Saturday, September 10, 2011 to help clear the way for less games this spring so that there’s a field and referee available for every match.
Most of the age groups from Under-10 to Under-19 are divided into North and South regions to conserve time and energy so teams hundreds of miles apart need not play one another until the later rounds of the State Cup. For the northern teams, the State Cup kicked off on the weekend of March 31 and April 1 while the southern teams started play on March 17 and 18.
The quarterfinal round is when the north and south teams meet and will be played on the weekend of May 12 and 13, while the semifinals will be played on Saturday, May 19.
The finals of the State Open Cup, officially known as the U.S. Youth Soccer ENYYSA Championship Cup, are scheduled for Saturday, June 2 and Sunday, June 3 at Stringham Park in LaGrange, the home of the East Hudson Youth Soccer League’s LaGrange Soccer Club. The Under-12 to Under-19 State Open Cup champs will play in the Region 1 championships from June 29 to July 3 in Lancaster, Pennsylvania. The fun continues as the regional champs then play for the U.S. Youth Soccer national championship from July 25 to 29 in Rock Hill, South Carolina.
The finals of the Arch Capital Group Challenge Cup are scheduled for Saturday, June 9 at the Peter Collins Soccer Park in Plainview, Long Island. Mr. Collins is the former Long Island Junior Soccer League President who is a Hall of Famer and Life Member of U.S. Soccer.
“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 Capital Group Challenge Cup,” commented Brian Hughes, Senior Vice President and Chief Actuary of Arch Capital.