Red Hook Heatwave Win the GU18 Eastern New York Premier League Title
New York Youth Soccer News: This is Red Hook’s second consecutive ENYPL championship
Although Championship Month is June in the Eastern New York Youth Soccer Association (ENYYSA), it started 10 days early when two friendly rivals from the East Hudson Youth Soccer League (EHYSL), the Red Hook Heatwave and the Rhinebeck Breakers, met on May 21. The Eastern New York Premier League (ENYPL) Girls-Under-18 championship game was played at Kissena Park in Queens. Behind a three-goal hat trick by Isabelle LaBarbera and a shutout by keeper Kyla Burns, Red Hook won, 3-0, to capture their second consecutive ENYPL title.
Coach Paul LaBarbera stated, “We plan to go out and have a team dinner to celebrate winning the league. There is a lot of respect and trust for each other on and off the field and several of the players have been playing together for most of their lives. We currently have players from three different school systems but there is a natural affinity within the squad that just seems to grow every game. They face each other in the fall in high school ball, and in the spring they unite to become the Heatwave.”
A day earlier, Red Hook bested Rhinebeck, 4-2, in the State Open Cup semifinals on two goals by Isabelle LaBarbera and one each by Alexa Franceschi and Cassandra LaBarbera. Red Hook will play another EHYSL team, the LaGrange Chargers, in the Girls-Under-18 State Open Cup final on June 4 at Stringham Park in LaGrange. It’s been a very successful climb up the youth soccer ladder for Red Hook as this is only their second year as a Premier team.
“We do not have any special plans for the LaGrange Chargers as far as strategy or preparation as I believe playing the Rhinebeck Breakers back-to-back is excellent prep for any squad. The Breakers have a lot of talent on their team and you are only going to improve when you play them as they are tough, well-coached and work very hard,” Coach LaBarbera added. “We have to treat LaGrange with the same amount of respect. They definitely have some key players and a quality coaching staff so we will continue to keep training the way we always do––with intensity, purpose and heart. The bottom line is these young women just love the world’s most beautiful game.”
Image Above — Back row, from left to right: Cassandra LaBarbera, Kyla Burns, Kate Lord, Gillian Berardi, Claire Doyal, Alexa Franceschi, Jayna Cherny, Isabelle LaBarbera
First row, from left to right: Lauren Engel, Julia Rogerson, Chrissy Gildersleeve, Alex Dunn, Anna Dolen, Sydney Flood
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.
