FCNY with Big Smiles The newly formed U-13 FCNY (Futball Club of New York) is a reincarnation of the NOGA Premier U-12 Team from Long Island that defied all odds and won the Empire Cup in Albany last July. They represent a cross-section of Long Island communities and are a rainbow of ethnic, racial and cultural diversities. The common bond that they share is their love of what we Americans call Soccer and the rest of the world refers to as Futball.

Their Jerseys may have changed since the Summer of 2007, but their love of the game remains the same. They are still that same spirited squad that brought the Empire Cup to Long Island against all odds last summer defeating powerhouse teams from LIJSL in the semi-finals and and New Jersey Premier in the big game. Under the guidance of Coach Dave Bond from England and Assistant Coach Hector Hernandez of Hempstead, FCNY headed to the Jersey Shore for the Howell Turkey Tournament the morning after Thanksgiving to prove that they still had the stuff to compete with the big boys.

Unlike the insufferable July heat in Albany, the ground was frozen "down the shore" in Jersey last Holiday Weekend. The opening game found FCNY down one goal early in the game but the boys quickly and convincingly turned it around with four unanswered goals for a 4-1 victory over the Middleton Knights. Later that day they had warmed up and secured a convincing 3-0 shutout win over Team Parsippany. The following day, they tied YMS and were awarded first place in their bracket.

Unfortunately, their Cinderella Story ended in the finals where they trailed Hamilton with three unanswered goals in the first half but did take home a very respectable second place prize. It was a very physical game more fitting for a hockey rink than a soccer field with one Hamilton player being ejected with a game misconduct.

Two game highlights came when Alex Witonsky of Smithtown banged in a rebound shot and Hamilton's net keeper gave up his first and only goal of the tournament and ended Hamilton's unblemished shutout record. Later in the game, Hamilton was awarded a penalty kick as a result of had ball in the box. Net keeper Tyler Biscone of Garden City blocked the cannonball of a penalty shot and then secured possession after the shooter got a second bite at the apple and attempted a rebound as the two collided. Biscone battled and ended up with the ball in his arms and the shooter beneath him for a tremendous pair of saves.

Sharing net-keeping duties with Biscone, who also plays for the Garden City Thunderbolts, was Keegan Peterson of Oyster Bay who plays for Syosset BOCA. Peterson allowed only 1.25 goals per game and made numerous tremendous saves and also strutted his stuff in the field when Biscone was in net. Tyler Biscone did not allow a single goal throughout the entire tournament. Both net keepers saluted their powerful defenders for their ability to limit quality shots on goal.

New additions Kaisy Almendares of Uniondale, Frankie Mitrone of Dix hills and Jelvin Tarra of Deer Park added tremendous depth, speed and agility to the team and were instantly embraced by FCNY teammates.

Returning from Hempstead were Coach Hector Hernandez' amazing players Kevin Chavez, Edwin Gonzolez and Chamion "Boo-Boo" Green. K. Chavez and Green each had a pair of goals in the first game and Gonzolez was responsible for numerous turnovers with his top-notch dribbling skills.

Also returning to the team were Matt Pepe of Jericho, Brian McCann of Plainview and Danny Miecuna of Syosset, Chris Chavez of Deer Park, Rocky Famiglietti of Centereach, Alex Witonsky of Smithtown and that pair of long haired net-keepers Keegan Peterson of Oyster Bay and Tyler Biscone of Garden City. McCann, Miecuna and C. Chavez were tenacious defenders and also seized every opportunity to support offensive onslaughts. Pepe, Famigilietti and McCann demonstrated both physical and mental toughness by never giving up, even when the team was momentarily down. Witonsky's goal in the final game frustrated an otherwise flawless tournament for Hamilton's net keeper.

Special thanks go out to Doug Peterson of Oyster Bay for making sure this talented team stayed together, Coach Bond for making sure that they played their very best and Hector Hernandez not only for a for assisting Coach Bond but also for his tireless workouts with the team's goalies and for his philanthropic efforts with Economic Opportunity Commission of Nassau County, Inc., a most worthy and deserving cause.

For those unfamiliar with EOC, it is a Hempstead, NY based Nassau County-wide non-profit organization that develops soccer, educational and life-skills programs for "at-risk" children in communities such as Hempstead, Roosevelt, Freeport and Uniondale.

Congratulations to the FCNY team for winning their bracket and for a solid Second Place overall finish. Hat's off to Coach Hernandez and EOC for bringing some fine players to the team. At FCNY, the players all speak the same language, whether you call it Futball or Soccer and are building friendships that should last a lifetime. Vamanos FCNY!