By Randy Vogt, Director of Public Relations, Eastern New York Youth Soccer Association
May 12, 2015-Mark your calendars for Sunday, June 21 as the Eastern New York Youth Soccer Association (ENYYSA) hosts the ENY Champions Cup at the Owl Hollow Fields on Staten Island. This competition began last year and it’s for the top Division 1 representatives of Eastern New York’s member leagues. The semifinals and finals in a Final Four format will be played in one day on Staten Island.
“The girls were honored to be able to play in the ENY Champions Cup and to win it playing up an age group was even better,” commented coach Chris Dietz about his Mahopac Thunderhawks, who won the Girls-Under-15 ENY Champions Cup last year. “For them, that day was an emotional one, and it was the best I have ever seen them play.”
“The Pumas enjoyed participating in the ENY Champions Cup last year,” responded Izzy Lauria, coach of the Beekman Pumas who played in the Girls-Under-14 title game. “The venue was very nice and the team was able to experience playing other competitive teams outside of our geographic area. Hopefully, we will be able to make it there again this year.”
There is no cost for participation and a team award, as well as individual awards to players and coaches, will be presented to each champion and finalist. The competition is open to both boys and girls in the Under-11 and Under-15 age groups.
Owl Hollow Fields has four turf fields, two of which are lighted, and is located off the 440 Expressway at Arthur Kill Road. It is part of the developing Freshkills Park, which will be three times the size of Central Park after it’s completed.
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 Special Children. 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.