Traditionally, the Long Island Junior Soccer League celebrates its scholarship recipients with a brunch on the second Sunday of July at the Huntington Hilton.

That did not occur this summer with the continued ban on large gatherings because of the COVID-19 pandemic. So, the LIJSL was resourceful in holding an informal ceremony honoring each recipient at the league office in Ronkonkoma, N.Y. on Sunday, Aug. 2.

The scholarship winners were honored in presentations held in the league’s media room. Then they adjourned to the LIJSL boardroom, where they were served refreshments along with the scholarship presenter, as other families entered the media room.

This year marked the 40th anniversary of the scholarship program. The ceremony, the first at the LIJSL office, also was the first in-person event in the Eastern New York Youth Soccer Association since the lockdown occurred five months ago.

The LIJSL awards scholarships based on academic and athletic achievement plus community service to student/athletes who have completed their senior year of high school. These well-rounded teenagers exemplify the mission of the league and its slogan of “Building Character Through Soccer.”

“This has not been an easy year, but even in a pandemic, we have donors who continue to be generous and recipients who are worthy,” scholarship program chairperson Lynn Scarpati said. “We have all found something special in crisis and ways to face these challenges.”

Congratulations to this year’s scholarship winners:
Award Recipient High School College 
Addie Mattei-Iaia Presidential Scholarship Matthew Power Northport  UMass Amherst
Bobbie & David Marks Memorial Scholarship Danielle DiTomasso Plainedge  Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute
Bobbie & David Marks Memorial Scholarship Emily Rosa-Figueirdo St. John the Baptist  Quinnipiac University
Bobbie & David Marks Memorial Scholarship Scott Thorley Eastport South Manor  UMass Amherst
Brittney Walsh Memorial Scholarship Nicole Jenal Bethpage  Felician University
Brittney Walsh Memorial Scholarship Gregory Paul Mepham  Alfred University
Carolyn Page Memorial Scholarship Makayla Reardon Sacred Heart Academy Fairfield University
Eileen Frazita Memorial Female Student Scholarship Sarah Santacroce Mattituck  Sacred Heart University
Frank Gorman Memorial Scholarship Halle Trahey East Islip  Molloy College
Jerry Marinan Memorial Scholarship Michael Leandrou Oyster Bay  American University
John R. Pinezich Memorial Scholarship Conor Andrews Calhoun  The Ohio State University
Joseph Lombardo Memorial Scholarship  Matthew Jakubowsky St. Anthony’s  St. John’s University
LIJSL Merit Scholarship Olivia Vinson  Wantagh  Binghamton University 
LIJSL Merit Scholarship  Leyla Kalmaz Carey  Molloy College
Matthew Scarpati Memorial Scholarship Ross Gossett  Bellmore JFK  University of Maryland
Michael B. Scarpati Memorial Goalkeeper Scholarship Michael Koutsouras New Hyde Park  Fairleigh Dickinson University
Michael Secko Memorial Scholarship  Tyler McElwee Mepham  SUNY Oneonta
Miles for Matt Scholarship Declan Griffin New Hyde Park  Susquehanna University
Miles for Matt Scholarship Gaetano Parisi Mepham  Roger Williams University
Miles for Matt Scholarship Megan McIntosh Riverhead  Molloy College
Pat Grecco Scholarship Abigail Landri West Islip  SUNY Oneonta
Peter C. Collins Memorial Presidential Scholarship Rory King Mepham  Northeastern University
Sandra Atlas Bass Scholarship Kaylee Hoffman St. Anthony’s  University of Georgia
Sean Urda Memorial Scholarship Daniel Conigliaro General MacArthur  Adelphi University
Rocco Amoroso Memorial Sportsmanship Scholarship Luca Rienecker St. Anthony’s  University of Rochester
George Hoffman Memorial TOPSoccer Scholarship Annalea Passeggiata Smithtown  Binghamton University
George Hoffman Memorial TOPSoccer Scholarship Hannah Walz  West Hempstead  Molloy College
LIJSL TOPSoccer Scholarship Timothy Cappitelli

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.