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The Connecticut Junior Soccer Association (CJSA) will be hosting its State Cup Finals on Sunday, with matches taking place at Farmington Sports Arena. In addition to the finals being played this weekend, select spring champions are also being determined via group play this season in the 13U, 15U, 17U and 18U/19U Girls Divisions.

As CJSA State Cup Finals are being played this weekend, the Connecticut Cup Presented by DICK’S Sporting Goods also progresses towards its final competitions for the season on Saturday, June 15th. The State Cup serves as a non-residency competition for premier teams, while the Connecticut Cup is a tournament created for teams that meet residency requirements.

“We are looking forward to crowning champions across both of our state-level competitions,” said Josh Krusewski, Executive Director of the Connecticut Junior Soccer Association. “By the end of this weekend, we will know who will represent Connecticut at the East Region Championships in West Virginia.”

CJSA State Cup Championship Matches

12U Boys – CT Rush vs. Inter Connecticut FC

12U Girls – CT Rush vs. Ole FC

13U Boys – CT Rush vs. Ginga FC

14U Boys – Chelsea Piers SC vs. CT Rush

14U Girls – Ole FC vs. Vale SC

15U Boys – Ginga FC Southeast vs. Soccer Club

16U Boys – Chelsea Piers SC vs. CT Rush

16U Girls – Chelsea Piers SC vs. Ole FC

17U Boys – CT Rush vs. Inter Connecticut FC

18U/19U Boys – CT Rush vs. JA Elite Soccer Academy

CJSA State Cup Champions (Determined via Group Play)

13U Girls – AC Connecticut G2011 USYS National

15U Girls – To Be Determined

17U Girls – AC Connecticut G2007 USYS National

18U/19U Girls – Ole FC Yankee Academy G2006

State Cup champions at the 12U level and above are eligible for the US Youth Soccer (USYS) Eastern Regional Championships this June in Charleston and Barboursville, West Virginia. Regional winners at the 13U age group and higher then move onto the USYS National Championships in July at the Disney Wide World of Sports Complex in Orlando, Florida. The Connecticut State Cup is part of the USYS National Championships Presented by New York Life, which is the country’s most prestigious national youth soccer tournament.

After the CJSA State Cup Finals are played this week, Connecticut Cup Presented by DICK’S Sporting Goods will soon host its final round of competition on Saturday, June 15th. Connecticut Cup is made available to teams playing in the Connecticut Junior Soccer Association that meet residency requirements.

To contact the Connecticut Junior Soccer Association, please call (860) 676-1161 or email office@cjsa.org. Also make sure to follow us on social media!

The Connecticut Junior Soccer Association (CJSA) Board of Directors currently has a scholarship fund open for graduating high school seniors. However, the deadline for submissions is quickly approaching, and the application process will officially close on Tuesday, April 30th.

“We are proud to continue our support helping families subsidize the cost of college education through this scholarship program,” said Josh Krusewski, Executive Director of the Connecticut Junior Soccer Association. “These scholarships are available to member players, and we encourage college-bound seniors within the CJSA system to submit an application.”

To be eligible for the scholarship fund, applicants must have played with a CJSA affiliated club and maintained a C+ average or higher in high school. Only graduating seniors qualify for a scholarship, and they must have plans to attend a two or four-year college or accredited technical school this fall. Additionally, all applications must be completed with an accompanying 250-word essay on the topic of “What Soccer Means to Me.”

The Connecticut Junior Soccer Association encourages any interested seniors who meet the above criteria to apply for the scholarship fund. No applications will be accepted after Tuesday, April 30th. Apply Today.

To contact the Connecticut Junior Soccer Association, please call (860) 676-1161 or email office@cjsa.org. Also make sure to follow us on social media!

The Connecticut Junior Soccer Association (CJSA) hosted a series of successful events with the Connecticut soccer community over the weekend. CJSA kicked things off with its 2024 Annual President’s Awards Dinner on Friday night before holding a Club Leadership Symposium and the CJSA Annual General Meeting on Saturday. The final event took place on Saturday evening when the Connecticut Soccer Hall of Fame inducted its 2024 class with an enshrinement ceremony at the DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel in Bristol, which served as the host venue for the busy weekend.

“Congratulations to all of our award winners, and thank you to all of our sponsors, partners, presenters and volunteers who allowed us to have a very successful weekend,” said Josh Krusewski, Executive Director of the Connecticut Junior Soccer Association. “We believe everyone who attended our Leadership Symposium left with something meaningful to bring back to their club.”

Each year, the Connecticut Junior Soccer Association hosts its Annual President’s Awards Dinner, where players, teams, coaches, referees and volunteers are recognized for outstanding performances and contributions to youth soccer in the state. Below is the full list of award winners who were honored on Friday night.

• Administrator of the Year – Sandy Siedel
• Volunteer of the Year – Jamie Milikowski
• Girls Recreation Coach of the Year – Mark Bacon
• Boys Recreation Coach of the Year – Carlos Dias
• Tommy Leahy TOPSoccer® Buddy of the Year – Aubrey Jackson
• TOPSoccer® Coach of the Year – Ryan McAdoo
• TOPSoccer® Volunteer of the Year – Justin Kelleher
• Boys Competitive Coach of the Year – Orville Dunn
• Girls Competitive Coach of the Year – Diego Miranda
• Young Male Referee of the Year – Kelvin Mucka
• Young Female Referee of the Year – Katrina Boskovic
• Mark Wollman Referee of the Year – Daniel Aloi
• Prime Hydration ODP Female Player of the Year – Maddy Walsh
• Prime Hydration ODP Male Player of the Year – Jeremy Dovale
• Thomas Krusewski Young Coach of the Year – Mia Prazeres
• Special Recognition – Naugatuck Nitros
• Special Recognition – Jordan Francis
• Special Recognition – North Haven Soccer Club

Following the 2024 Annual President’s Awards Dinner, CJSA hosted a Club Leadership Symposium on Saturday morning that included a variety of educational workshops for club administrators. Upon completion of the Club Leadership Symposium, CJSA held its 2024 Annual General Meeting with the CJSA Board of Directors and club leadership to discuss relevant topics for the state association during the upcoming year.

The grand finale of the weekend came on Saturday night when the Connecticut Soccer Hall of Fame inducted its 2024 class at an official enshrinement ceremony. The seven new members who entered the Connecticut Soccer Hall of Fame are Chris Canetti, Annmarie DelMastro Catania, Thomas D’Agostino, Jerry Garlick, Stephen Griggs, Allen Nunes and Gary Swanson. Read more about the seven inductees.

To contact the Connecticut Junior Soccer Association, please call (860) 676-1161 or email office@cjsa.org. Also make sure to follow us on social media!

Pat Hennig, Chair of the Connecticut Soccer Hall of Fame, is pleased to announce its 2024 class of inductees, which will officially become enshrined at a ceremony on Saturday, January 27th, at the DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel in Bristol. The seven new members entering the Connecticut Soccer Hall of Fame are Chris Canetti, Annmarie Catania, Thomas D’Agostino, Jerry Garlick, Stephen Griggs, Allen Nunes and Gary Swanson. 

Tickets for the Connecticut Soccer Hall of Fame Dinner are available for purchase now, with advertising and sponsorship opportunities also being available. Click here to learn more about how you can attend or support this special evening. Members of the media are invited guests and should email ctsoccerhof@cjsa.org for a credential.  

Chris Canetti (Guilford, CT) has enjoyed a 24-year career as an executive in Major League Soccer and the National Women’s Soccer League with the NY/NJ MetroStars, Houston Dynamo and Houston Dash. The Connecticut native is the current President of the Dynamo and previously held the same position with the Dash from 2013 to 2018. Canetti has two MLS Cups in his portfolio, winning consecutive league titles in 2016 and 2017, and he also raised the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup Trophy with the Dynamo in 2018. Further, he played a key role in launching the Dash as an NWSL expansion franchise in 2014. In addition to his responsibilities with the Dynamo, Canetti currently serves as the President of the Houston 2026 World Cup Bid and Host Committee as well. In 2013, Canetti played a vital role in putting together an event in Newtown, Connecticut, in hopes of bringing smiles to faces in a town devastated by the tragic Sandy Hook shooting. The event featured the likes of Mia Hamm, Landon Donovan, Alexi Lalas, Christie Rampone, Eric Wynalda and dozens of others exclusively for residents of Newtown.

Annmarie Catania (Rocky Hill, CT) has been an instrumental figure in Connecticut soccer for more than 30 years since being named an All-American as a player at Mitchell College in New London. She has enjoyed a highly successful career as a coach and instructor at all levels of the game, currently serving as the head girls soccer coach at Rocky Hill High School and at Connecticut Football Club. Additionally, she works as a goalkeeper coach for Connecticut ODP and the Regional Training Centers. Her Connecticut Soccer Hall of Fame selection is the latest high accolade for Catania, who was previously inducted into the Connecticut Girls Soccer Coaches Association Hall of Fame, Mitchell College Hall of Fame and Rocky Hill Athletic Hall of Fame.

Thomas D’Agostino (Longmeadow, MA) played professionally in the American Soccer League before transitioning to coaching and eventually earning his US Soccer Federation A License. Over the past 30 years, D’Agostino has coached or served in leadership roles at all levels of the game, ranging locally in the State of Connecticut all the way to internationally in Europe. His portfolio includes stops with Connecticut ODP, Connecticut Fusion of United Women’s Soccer, FSA FC United Connecticut, Western Mass Pioneers of the United Soccer League, Western Mass Lady Pioneers of the USL W-League, Atlantic Soccer Club, South Central Premier Connecticut, Longmeadow Soccer Association and SoccerPlus Field Player Academy. He has also volunteered his time in philanthropic initiatives to help grow the game such as Futbol For Change in Ghana.

Jerry Garlick (Simsbury, CT) has enjoyed a highly successful coaching career for more than 20 years, and his portfolio includes accolades such as being named the 2002 Connecticut Junior Soccer Association (CJSA) Coach of the Year (Girls Team) and 2003 NSCAA National Coach of the Year (Youth Girls Division), also receiving the high honor of being named a “Hometown Hero” by the Town of Simsbury. Garlick has coached at all levels with Simsbury Soccer Club and has guided eight teams to Connecticut Cup Championships. In addition to coaching, he has also contributed extensively to the soccer community at executive positions such as Simsbury Soccer Club President and on the CJSA Disciplinary Committee.

Stephen Griggs (Guilford, CT) served as the head coach of Yale University from 1978 to 1995, and he remains the winningest coach in the history of the school with 143 victories. He led Yale to three Ivy League Championships and helped the team reach the NCAA Division I Quarterfinals in 1991. He also worked at the 1990 FIFA World Cup in Italy, and he served on a committee that aspired to make the Yale Bowl a host site when the international tournament came to the United States four years later. Griggs has remained a key figure in the Connecticut soccer community for more than five decades, and his contributions have helped lead the sport to the success it continues to see at the state level and beyond.

Allen Nunes (Cromwell, CT) held the scoring record at the University of Hartford for 34 years until it was finally broken in 2004. He was an All-New England First Team selection over four consecutive seasons in college and was named the Athlete of the Year at the University of Hartford in 1971. 20 years later, he became the first soccer player to get inducted into the University of Hartford Hall of Fame. After college, he was drafted by the Connecticut Wildcats of the American Soccer League. Additionally, he also played and coached for Hartford Portuguese Soccer and Hartford Luso for more than 30 years. Nunes was inducted into the Hartford Portuguese Hall of Fame in 2012 and the Hartford Public High School Hall of Fame in 2004.

Gary Swanson (Waterford, CT) has been an instrumental figure in soccer throughout the region for more than four decades. The 1982 Parade Magazine All American and all-time leading scorer at Waterford High School also had his jersey number retired at his high school. The former Connecticut ODP player was a captain and All-New England selection at Boston University before playing professionally with the Connecticut Wolves of the American Soccer League. In addition to his success as a player, Swanson also enjoyed an extensive career in soccer as a broadcaster for New England Sports Network (NESN) and as a club executive and coach at Waterford Soccer Club and Southeast Soccer Club.

To contact the Connecticut Soccer Hall of Fame, please call (860) 676-1161 or email office@cjsa.org.