The LIJSL U9 Winter Showdown 6V6 League wrapped up its first season on March 15 at the state-of-the-art Stony Brook Athletic Center. The League offered U9 boys and girls teams the opportunity to compete for eight weeks over the course of January-March.
The League was designed to optimize tactical awareness, keeping five field players and a goalkeeper on the pitch. The games were free-flowing and allowed all of the players to put their best foot forward in the winter competition.
“The Winter Showdown has been a great first-time experience for our U9s and club,” Stony Brook LGN Coach Brian Ellsayed said. “It provided a structured environment to play organized indoor games in the winter, which has helped us to continue to develop the future soccer stars of our club all year round.”
He added: “The organization and communication has been great and we look forward to entering our teams in next year!”
The League winners for both the boys and girls received Winter Showdown t-shirts.
The final day of game action also saw a visit from players of the newly-formed National Premier Soccer League side American Soccer Club New York.
“After a successful first season, the Winter Showdown can only grow from here,” LIJSL Technical Director Ronan Wiseman said. “Next year we will look to offer more age groups in both boys and girls across multiple divisions to ensure an appropriate competitive balance. I’d like to thank Stony Brook who has been a great partner in our first year and I look forward to working with them in the future.”