Tom Lips, Jennifer Tietjen, Carlos Mendes, LI Soccer Player Hall founder Kevin McCrudden, Margaret Tietjen and Mark Semioli. (FrontRowSoccer.com Photo)
Five players who made an impact in local and professional soccer were inducted into the Long Island Soccer Player Hall of Fame Saturday night.
They were honored at the Huntington Hilton in Melville, N.Y. in the event.
Those players are:
* Central defender Carlos Mendes, a Mineola, N.Y. native who played for the Long Island Rough Riders, New York/New Jersey MetroStars and Red Bulls, Columbus Crew, Rochester Rhinos and Cosmos. He most recently coached Cosmos B in the National Premier Soccer League and will direct the Cosmos in the NPSL and in the NPSL Founders Cup this year.
* Jennifer and Margaret Tietjen, Huntington, N.Y. natives who were standouts with the Long Island Lady Riders. They are coaching college soccer, Jennfier as an assistant coach at Central Connecticut State and Margaret as head coach at the University of Connecticut.
* Defender Mark Semioli of Hauppauge High School, who played for the LA Galaxy and MetroStars in Major League Soccer.
* And another Hauppauge H.S. standout, Tommy Lips, who performed for the Long Island Rough Riders, New England Revolution and FC St. Gallen (Switzerland) and the Puerto Rican national team. He is also the head coach at Smithtown West High School.
The gala was a stand-alone event this year and will not be part of the Long Island Junior Soccer League convention, which will be held the weekend of March 9-10.
