AMERICAN SOCCER CLUB-NEW YORK SIGNS GOALKEEPER DIEGO FLORES
St. James native joins Fighting Tomcats for the 2026 NPSL season
Long Island, NY (February 24th, 2026) – American Soccer Club-New York has announced the signing of former Smithtown High School East goalkeeper Diego Flores to a one-year deal for the 2026 National Premier Soccer League season. Flores is a Redshirt Freshman at Southern Connecticut State University.
“I’m very excited to join the ASC New York program this summer and compete,” said Flores. “Learning more about the vision that Coach Fitzgerald and the rest of the staff have for the program as well as their commitment to the players makes me eager to get started and work towards a championship. Having played under Coach Fitzgerald before, my expectation is to come into a competitive environment with tons of personality and grit.”
This past season for Southern Connecticut, Flores was named to the NE10 All-Conference Third Team and the NE10 All-Rookie Team. He played in 17 matches and started 16 for the Owlslogging 1,410 minutes played. Flores recorded seven shutouts, second most in the conference and was named NE10 Goalkeeper of the Week one time and conference Rookie of the Week three times. He was also named to the NE10 Academic All-Conference Team.
“Diego played for me in the Olympic Development Program where he was a standout keeper,” said Fighting Tomcats Head Coach John Fitzgerald. “He’s one of the hardest working goalkeepers I’ve coached. He has a solid mentality, handles the ups and downs of a game well and strongly commands the box. He has now had the experience of being the number one keeper on his college squad and I expect that will add to his further growth and confidence. He’s a positive personality who we’re happy to have with us.”
At Smithtown East High School, Flores was a three-time All-Conference, three-time All-County, two-time All-State and a one-time All-East Region selection. He was named the league Goalkeeper of the Year three times and was named Player of the Year one time. Flores was named twice to the Newsday Top 100 Boys Soccer team and once to the Newsday All-Long Island First Team. He is Smithtown East’s all-time career shutout leader with 23.
“After meeting the experienced coaching staff and the leaders of the team, I got a sense of the type of environment and culture they’ve built collectively over the past year,” said Flores. “There’s a big emphasis on always bringing effort and the right attitude and those values drive this group of talented players and coaches.
American Soccer Club-New York will call Mitchel Athletic Complex in Uniondale their primary home and will be making additional announcements in the upcoming weeks including additionalplayer signings and club appearances in the community. The 2026 National Premier Soccer League season will begin in May.
About American Soccer Club-New York
Founded in 2024, the American Soccer Club-New York (ASC NY), known as the “Fighting Tomcats,” are a Long Island-Metro NY team, competing in the National Premier Soccer League. The club’s identity pays tribute to the region’s aviation heritage through the iconic Grumman F-14 Tomcat. ASC NY is committed to developing local talent.
For more information about American Soccer Club-New York, please visit www.ascnewyork.com.
