Bristal Assisted Living residents take pride in Lake Grove native Joe Scally playing for USA in World Cup

Residents of the Bristal Assisted Living at Lake Grove typically go to bed early. But with Joe Scally, a Lake Grove native, playing for the United States in the World Cup, six-year resident Susan Lomangino said the community is staying up late and talking.

“That's what we all talk about in the dining room,” said Lomangino, who has lived on Long Island her whole life. “We go, ‘Are you watching the game? Yeah, I'm watching the game.’ It's nice to have things where we … I don't feel so isolated.”

Four years after becoming the first player from Long Island to make the United States men’s national team in 2022, Scally became the first to appear in a game during the U.S.’s group-stage victory against Australia on June 19. The USMNT faces Bosnia in the knockout round on Wednesday night.

Because the news of Scally playing for the USMNT has been prominent on social media, Michael Acampora, the lifestyle director at Bristal Assisted Living, highlighted it has sparked “a lot of conversation” among residents.

“Ever since we all found out that we have somebody from Lake Grove playing in the World Cup, it has just been something that everybody's so excited about and so curious about,” Acampora said. “I think the more people talk about it, it just makes everything we do feel so much more special.”

Given the significance of Scally’s achievement and its local ties, Acampora invited his cousin, Daniel Giorgi, to give a presentation to residents Wednesday afternoon about the importance of the World Cup. Giorgi once played against Scally in a scrimmage and coaches for the Oyster Bay East Norwich Soccer Club and is the girl’s varsity coach at Portledge School.

Giorgi noted it was important to share the experience of soccer and talk about soccer on Long Island, which wouldn’t have happened at Bristal Assisted Living without Scally representing the U.S.

“I love Long Island, love New York, to see it get represented at a big stage, I'm a big advocate for it,” Giorgi said. “I'm really happy and proud of him.”

Mona Valins, who is originally from Setauket and has lived at Bristal Assisted Living for six years, admits she doesn’t watch the World Cup often and only watches because of Scally. She takes great pride in the fact that Scally is from the town where she lives.

“That doesn't happen to very many areas,” Valins said of seeing a Lake Grove native playing for the U.S. “It's exciting.”

No matter how Scally and the United States fare the rest of the way, he’s earned a place in the hearts of people in his hometown.

“It’s very cool; it's inspiring,” Lomagino said. “It's great. It's like, hey, now somebody's going to know about Lake Grove.”