Moran Salmon Thanks TOPSoccer in Acceptance Speech
The West Hempstead native Moran Salmon was honored by the Northeast-10 Conference as the Woman of the Year and Soccer Defensive Player of the Year as well as a United Soccer Coaches All-American.
A Star From The Start: Morgan Salmon’s playing time at Adelphi University consisted of starting 51 of her 53 career games at the pivotal center-back position. The Panthers, under Salmon’s captaincy, not only returned to the NE10 Championship final in 2023 but captured the school’s first NCAA Division 2 East Region Championship in 20 years.
Her final start as a Panther came at the NCAA Division 2 National Championship, where Morgan played all 90 minutes of the team’s semifinal game against Washburn University. 
Salmon joins 2015 winner Taylor Groth as Adelphi University team’s only NE10 Defensive Player of the Year honorees all-time.
Morgan completed her bachelor’s degree this May in Nursing, maintaining a 3.854 cumulative grade-point average. In her acceptance speech as the Northeast-10 Woman of the Year, she thanked Lauren Lee, the TOPSoccer Chairperson of the Eastern New York Youth Soccer Association (ENYYSA).
Morgan said, “I would like to thank West Hempstead TOPSoccer and Lauren Lee. West Hempstead TOPSoccer is an outreach program for soccer that allows individuals with special needs, whether that is a mental or physical disability, to play soccer.”
“I started volunteering with this program in 2013 so I grew up with these kids,” said Morgan Salmon. “They’re neighborhood kids, and as much as you would think that I taught them, they have truly formed me into the person I am.”
With over 100,000 youth soccer players–boys and girls–and more than 25,000 volunteers, the non-profit Eastern New York Youth Soccer Association (ENYYSA) stretches from Montauk Point, Long Island to the Canadian border. Members are affiliated with 10 leagues throughout the association, which covers the entire state of New York east of Route 81.
ENYYSA exists to promote and enhance the game of soccer for children and teenagers between the ages of 5 and 19 and to encourage the healthy development of youth players, coaches, referees, and administrators. All levels of soccer are offered, including intramural, travel teams, premier players, and Children With Special Needs. No child who wants to play soccer is turned away.
ENYYSA is a proud United States Soccer Federation and US Youth Soccer member.
Image Credit: Top Picture from Adelphi University
