Merrick/South Merrick Impact U-14 Girls win Arch Capital Group Cup

(ENYYSA / Randy Vogt) – The Merrick/South Merrick Impact of the Long Island Junior Soccer League (LIJSL) topped Big Apple Manchester of the Big Apple Youth Soccer League (BAYSL), 2-1, on June 13 at the Peter Collins Soccer Park in Plainview to capture the Girls-Under-14 Arch Capital Group Cup.

Kristen Dobkowski netted a goal off an assist from Kayla Schneider and Emily Rawson scored as well for the new champs.

“We play a lot of give-and-go but it was very difficult against Big Apple because of their high offside line,” commented Merrick/South Merrick coach Luis Alberto.

Coach Alberto played professionally for the famed Boca Juniors in his native Argentina before coming to the United States and competing for the New York Arrows and New York Express of the old Major Indoor Soccer League.

Merrick/South Merrick also received the Howard Rubenstein Sportsmanship Award for the Fair Play they demonstrated on the field. Now retired, Mr. Rubenstein was seemingly involved in every facet of New York soccer for decades and is a member of the Halls of Fame of Eastern New York, the US Amateur Soccer Association and the Long Island Junior Soccer League.

The Eastern New York Youth Soccer Association (ENYYSA) would like to thank our sponsor, Arch Capital Group, which writes insurance and reinsurance on a worldwide basis through operations in the United States, Bermuda, Canada and Europe, with a focus on specialty lines.

“This cup competition is a great event in that it gives young people an opportunity to experience high levels of competition. And you don’t have to be the best team in the state to win a championship with the Arch Capital Group Cup,” said Brian Hughes, Senior Vice President and Chief Actuary of Arch Capital.