Massapequa Arsenal Win Their Third State Open Cup Championship
New York Youth Soccer News: The Boys-Under-19 State Open Cup final between Massapequa Arsenal of the Long Island Junior Soccer League (LIJSL) and Kosmos Greek-Americans of the Cosmopolitan Junior Soccer League (CJSL) had an unusual aspect as all three goal scorers were named Nick. Niko Psaras scored on a 10-yard blister midway through the first half for Kosmos. Nicholas Cestaro responded on a header for Massapequa in the second half and Nicholas Christiansen scored toward the end of regulation, just in the nick of time, to give Massapequa a 2-1 win and their third State Open Cup title.
“I think we were the fitter of the two teams and we had more heart and desire,” commented Massapequa coach Tobias Bischof.
It’s fitting that this game played on Saturday, June 13 was at the Peter Collins Soccer Park in Plainview as the teams were competing for the new Peter Collins Cup, going to Boys-Under-19 champs in the Eastern New York Youth Soccer Association (ENYYSA). Peter is a Bethpage resident and U.S. Soccer Hall of Famer who volunteered as President of the LIJSL from 1977 to 2004, a period during which the LIJSL tripled in size. On his watch, the LIJSL became the first league to start a Special Children’s Program, a high school soccer showcase and a soccer convention. Additionally, Peter coached the Hicksville Minutemen to the Boys-Under-19 national finals.
The three-time champs from Massapequa received a $2,000 check from Eastern New York to defray their costs during the National Championship Series. They will be playing in the Regionals from June 26 to 30 in Barboursville, West Virginia.
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.
