The Hauppauge Hurricanes won the Boys U-13 State Cup title in a shootout. (Photo courtesy of ENYYSA)
LAGRANGE, N.Y. — Two neighboring Long Island Junior Soccer League teams produced a memorable Boys Under-13 State Open Cup final at Stringham Park June 3.
The Hauppauge Hurricanes and Smithtown Bayern tied 2-2 after extratime with Hauppauge taking the state title with a 4-2 victory in the shootout.
Aidan Augeri and Ryan Rush scored Hauppauge’s goals.
“It was a great game,” Hauppauge coach Anthony Oliveto said. “It’s always back and forth between Smithtown and us.”
This was the third recent game between these teams. Hauppauge won during the regular season, 4-2, while Smithtown won in State Open Cup first round group play, 2-1.
As state champs, Hauppauge will represent the Eastern New York Youth Soccer Association at the Region I championships in Spotsylvania, Va. from June 30-July 4.
Smithtown received the Rocco Amoroso Sportsmanship Award as determined by the game officials. Amoroso, a U.S, Soccer Life Member who died last year, started the Sportsmanship Program of the LIJSL in 1980 and it spread to Eastern New York, nationally and then to China and Ireland.