LAGRANGE, N.Y. — Merrick/South Merrick Elite defeated another Long Island Junior Soccer League team, Lake Grove/Newfield Magic, 3-1, to win the Girls-Under-10 Arch Cup Gold in Stringham Park, June 3.

Skylar Mondelli, Isabella Tristaino and Cameron Zubiria scored Merrick/South Merrick’s goals in the Eastern New York Youth Soccer Association championship game.

“The difference in the game was our defense,” Merrick/South Merrick coach Karloff Rosario said. “We have a very experienced defense of goalkeeper Olivia Ruisi plus defenders Kiera Sheridan and Cameron Zubiria, which contained Lake Grove/Newfield.”

Lake Grove/Newfield received the Rocco Amoroso Sportsmanship Award as determined by the game officials. The namesake of the award, who died last year, was inducted into the Halls of Fame of the LIJSL and Eastern New York plus was honored as a Life Member by U.S. Soccer. Amoroso started the LIJSL Sportsmanship Program in 1980, it has since been copied around the world.

Front Row Soccer editor Michael Lewis has covered 13 World Cups (eight men, five women), seven Olympics and 25 MLS Cups. He has written about New York City FC, New York Cosmos, the New York Red Bulls and both U.S. national teams for Newsday and has penned a soccer history column for the Guardian.com. Lewis, who has been honored by the Press Club of Long Island and National Soccer Coaches Association of America, is the former editor of BigAppleSoccer.com. He has written seven books about the beautiful game and has published ALIVE AND KICKING The incredible but true story of the Rochester Lancers. It is available at Amazon.com.