New York Rush Rowdies Win the GU16 State Championship
New York Youth Soccer News: The team from Westchester won their first State Open Cup championship
The Eastern New York Youth Soccer Association (ENYYSA) Girls-Under-16 State Open Cup final on June 5 at Stringham Park in LaGrange featured two British-born coaches who have known one another for two decades in New York, the New York Rush Rowdies’ Steve Davis and HBC Buzz’s Tim Bradbury. Not surprisingly, New York Rush, from the Westchester Youth Soccer District (WYSD) and HBC, from the Long Island Junior Soccer League (LIJSL), produced an even game.
The only difference was the New York Rush goal from Melenia Ralioman to give them a 1-0 victory so they bring the Girls-Under-16 Peter Masotto Cup home to Westchester. The namesake of the award is a Region 1 Hall of Famer and U.S. Soccer Life Member who volunteered as President of Eastern New York from 1984 to 2006. Masotto also coached the Massapequa Falcons girls team to the 1988 national championship.
“It was a very even game,” commented New York Rush coach Davis. “Neither team executed very well in the final third.”
New York Rush also added the Howard Rubenstein Sportsmanship Award, as determined by the game officials, to their growing trophy case.
Eastern New York will help pay for New York Rush’s costs when they play for the Regional title as part of the National Championship Series from June 30 to July 5 in Barboursville, West Virginia.
Eastern New York Youth Soccer Association: 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.
