An exciting matchup of two premier Northeast college soccer teams will take place in the Town of Oyster Bay, Town Councilman Joe Pinto announced. The town will host a
College Soccer Challenge and Youth Soccer Festival on Sunday, August 18, at John J. Burns Town Park in Massapequa, featuring a game between the NCAA men’s soccer forces from Hofstra and Lafayette. The game will begin at 4 p.m.
“Soccer fans in our town will not want to miss this festival which will showcase some of the area’s best soccer talent and will make for an entertaining day for the community to watch and enjoy,” Councilman Pinto said.
Hofstra is led by Head Coach Richard Nuttall, who is entering his 25th season as head coach at Hofstra. Prior to joining Hofstra, Nutall was a professional soccer player in England and was also a member of the Long Island Rough Riders. Hofstra will be looking to continue the success of last season, in which the team finished with a record of 11-6-4 and advanced to the Colonial Athletic Association Championship Game.
The Leopards from Lafayette, under the direction of head coach Dennis Bohn, are the defending Patriot Division Champions and enter the season with a streak of 12 consecutive winning seasons. They are one of the most successful college soccer programs in the Northeast. This year, the team is celebrating the 100th anniversary of the program’s inception back in 1913.
In addition to the outstanding collegiate game, young players will be treated to a Town of Oyster Bay Free Youth Clinic at 2:30 p.m., where kids can practice soccer techniques
and enjoy a barbecue with players and coaches.
“Soccer is of the most popular sports on Long Island and the soccer fans in our community, especially the young athletes who play the sport, will definitely enjoy this festival,” Councilman Pinto said.
The councilman noted that admission is free for town residents, but all attendees are encouraged to bring cans of food, which will be donated to Island Harvest to benefit the fight against hunger.
