Chris Armas and Shep Messing Headline Long Island Player Hall of Fame Ceremony

Feb. 28, 2013 - PRLog -- Kevin McCrudden is Publisher of Soccer Long Island Magazine, the only soccer publication in print and online on Long Island, which he established almost four years ago.  Around the same time, he began a journey to create a soccer “players” Hall of Fame, honoring the great soccer players from Long Island and honoring the great tradition of soccer on Long Island.

“Today, I am proud to announce that in cooperation with the Long Island Junior Soccer League (LIJSL), we have successfully agreed to establish the Long Island Soccer Player Hall of Fame honoring the greatest players from Long Island, which are some of the greatest players ever in America!” states McCrudden.

The first Class of The Long Island Soccer Player Hall of Fame will be:

Shep Messing, the legendary American goalkeeper from Wheatley High School that attended Harvard University, played for the New York Cosmos in the 70’s, New York Arrows in the 80’s and is the current MSG announcer for the MLS’ New York Red Bulls.

Chris Armas, a 13-time MLS All-Star that started out at the Brentwood Soccer Club, graduated from St. Anthony’s and then Adelphi is the most decorated player ever from Long Island with 66 “Caps” for the USMNT.  He won Championships with the Long Island Rough Riders,  Los Angeles Galaxy and Chicago Fire where he spent most of his career and became the prototypical “holding midfielder.”  

Paul LeSueur, one of the first Americans to play for the New York Cosmos in 1972-73 and teammate of Messing’s. LeSueur also went on to win various Amateur National Titles and is currently the Athletic Director at the Waldorf School in Garden City.

Kim Wyant, a transplant to Long Island from Florida, but was the first goalkeeper for the very first USWNT.  She also played for the Lady Rough Riders and has been ever present on the Long Island soccer scene for years.

Wyant said, “it is a fantastic honor to be included in the Long Island Soccer Player Hall of Fame inaugural class.  I am grateful and humbled to be among these Long Island soccer greats, Shep, Chris and Paul.  I look forward to the wonderful night celebrating this historic event with my family, friends and all in the Long Island soccer community who have made this possible.”

“I think it’s fitting that two members of our first class are former Cosmos with the rebirth of the Cosmos here on Long Island, said McCrudden.

Shep Messing said, “Long Island is and always will be a hotbed for talented players in America. I am honored to be included with Chris, Kim and Paul in the class of 2013.  There were many that came before us and I am confident that there are many more to come.”

The Long Island Soccer Player Hall of Fame Award Dinner has limited seating and will take place during the LIJSL Soccer Convention the weekend of March 8th, 9th and 10th the second largest soccer convention in America.  However, there will be opportunities to meet the Hall of Famers and get autographs during the day on Saturday, March 9th.  More details will be forthcoming with times and locations.

“I’m thankful to the Long Island Soccer Player Hall of Fame for this great honor and am proud to say that I came up through the LIJSL.  I learned my most valuable soccer and life lessons on the fields of Long Island as a youth and these lessons built the foundation that I carried throughout my career,” said Chris Armas.

As the founder of the Long Island Soccer Player Hall of Fame, McCrudden stated, ”We have 50 years of some of the most well known players in America that came out of the early German-American League, Cosmopolitan League, the Long Island Soccer Football League and the Long Island Junior Soccer League.  I am thrilled to be working with the LIJSL and many others in the New York soccer community to celebrate Shep, Chris, Paul and Kim’s careers.”

Paul LeSueur commented, “I am very humbled and blessed to be honored by the Long Island Soccer Player Hall of Fame and the LIJSL, as their history and reputation make it one of the premier soccer leagues in the United States.”

For More information contact:  

Kevin McCrudden at Soccer Long Island Magazine:  SoccerLIMagazine@gmail.com