By Randy Vogt, Director of Public Relations, Eastern New York Youth Soccer Association
June 21, 2022-Four goals by Hannah Maracina paced the Smithtown Kickers Cosmos to a 4-2 win over Empire State Alleycats Red in the Eastern New York Youth Soccer Association (ENYYSA) Girls-Under-18 State Cup title match at sunny Stringham Park in the Hudson Valley on June 5. After the win, Smithtown brought the Richard Christiano Cup home to Long Island.
Christiano, the cup's namesake, has brought fiscal responsibility to ENYYSA as President for the past 13 years. He also was a youth coach for the New Hyde Park Wildcats and served on the Long Island Junior Soccer League (LIJSL) Board of Directors for 14 years, greatly improving the LIJSL Select Program during this time.
Smithtown coach Mark Dawson stated, “We had the better goal-scoring today. Hannah was relentless as she scored diverse ways, on a set-piece, in the run of play and also on a breakaway.”
Smithtown will represent Eastern New York at the East Regionals from June 24 to 30 in Charleston and Barboursville, West Virginia as part of the National Championship Series.
The Alleycats did not go home to Albany empty-handed as they received the Rocco Amoroso Sportsmanship Award as determined by the game officials. Amoroso, a US Soccer Life Member who died five years ago, started the LIJSL Sportsmanship Program in 1980 and it spread to Eastern New York, nationally and then to China and Ireland, and in the process, made soccer games kinder and gentler.
With approximately 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 nine 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 Children With Special Needs. 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 onto http://www.enysoccer.com/