The Dix Hills Hurricanes defeated Auburndale/Bayside AV Junior in a shootout, 5-4, after playing to a 2-2 tie. (Photo courtesy of ENYYSA)
LAGRANGE, N.Y. — The Dix Hills Hurricanes won their fourth consecutive Eastern New York Youth Soccer Association championship earlier this month.
After playing to a 2-2 draw in regulation and extratime, the Hurricanes defeat the Auburndale/Bayside AV Junior in a shootout, 5-4, to win the Boys Under-18 State Open Cup final at Stringham Park June 4.
Andrew McDonald scored for Dix Hills and Leo Musacchia added a goal on a penalty kick in the battle of Long Island Junior Soccer League teams.
“We had the game won but Auburndale/Bayside kept fighting back and scored in the last minute, even though they were down a player,” Dix Hills coach Leo Musacchia Sr. said.
Dix Hills will represent ENYYSA at the Region I tournament in Spotsylvania, Va. June 30-July 4.
The Hurricanes also added the Rocco Amoroso Sportsmanship Award to their trophy case as well, as determined by the match officials. Amoroso, a U.S. Soccer Life Member who died last year, started the LIJSL Sportsmanship Program in 1980 and it spread to Eastern New York, nationally and then to China and Ireland.

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.