Sports stats



MASL Florida Tropics SC

Florida Tropics Host Utica City Today

March 26, 2023 - Major Arena Soccer League (MASL)
Florida Tropics SC News Release


LAST TIME / ALL TIME - The Tropics have matched up against Utica on eight previous occasions, and have a 5-3 record against their upstate New York foes. The most recent meeting was in Utica on March 12, a 5-4 Utica win in overtime. Gordy Gurson scored on a shootout for the winning goal. Ricardo Carvalho scored twice for Florida. Bo Jelovac had two goals for Utica. Florida's all time leading scorer against Utica is Ricardo Carvalho with nine goals. Utica's all time active leading goal scorer against the Tropics is Jelovac with five.

SAVE BY SILVA - Goaltender Hugo Silva re-joined the Tropics in late March. Silva, who had been unable to play due to visa issues, is now eligible to play, and has joined the Tropics for the final three regular season games and playoffs. Silva is a two-time MASL all star, and was on his way to perhaps a Goaltender of the Year honor in 2021-22 when he became ineligible to play after nine starts. In those nine games, however, Silva was 8-1 with a goals against average of 3.45 and saves percentage of .801. In 97 career regular season appearances, including 95 starts, Silva is 53-36 with a 5.43 goals against average. His two prior seasons with Florida before last year he had goals against averages of 4.43 and 4.14.

VIVA VINI! -- One of the most dangerous target forwards over the past eight years in the Major Arena Soccer League - Vini Dantas - has joined the Florida Tropics on a two-year deal to start the 2022-23 season ... Dantas played most of those years with the Baltimore Blast, starting his career the 2014-15 season - when he earned All MASL Rookie Team honors - and was an immediate offensive force, scoring 16 goals in 15 games. Since that time, he has gone on to score 211 goals and add 100 assists in 174 career regular season, all-star and playoff games. A physical presence at 6'-1" and 200 pounds, the 32-year old native of Sao Paulo, Brazil, had his best season in 2019-20 when he banged home 37 goals and added 17 assists in 22 games. He was traded to the Tacoma Stars prior to the start of the 2020-21 season, and was traded back to the Blast with just three games remaining in the 2021-22 campaign. He finished last season with 19 goals in 16 games played, to go along with eight assists for 27 total points. ... He was a key part of Baltimore's three-straight MASL championships between 2017-2019, and was the 2017 Most Valuable Player in the playoffs, getting the game-winning goal in the finals against Sonora. He ended that post season with 18 total points (nine goals and nine assists) in nine games.

FOR YOUR INFORMATION - More information on the 2022-23 Tropics can be found at www.fltropics.com. Under the news tab, you will find the team's 193-page record book. The record book was created and compiled by the Tropics official photographer Christopher Arnold.

A TERRIFIC TRIO - The last three years have been very good ones for the Tropics. Their 46 regular season wins in that time span is tops in the Major Arena Soccer League. Next on the list is the San Diego Sockers with 42. The Sockers defeated Florida two games to none in the Championship Finals in 2021-22.

VIVA VICTOR TOO! - Captain Victor Parterres continues to re-write the Florida Tropics record book (which can be found in its entirety at www.fltropics.com,, go to the news tab and click on Record Book). Parreiras has been with the Tropics since their inception, and has become the franchise's all time leading scorer in both goals, assists and total points. For both regular season and playoff games, Victor has made 140 appearances for the Tropics, with 115 goals and 101 assists for 216 points. Entering the season, second on the Tropics all times list for points is Ricardo Diegues (122), followed by Ricardo Carvalho (114) and Zach Reget (97). For goals, Diegues is second at 86, while for assists, Carvalho is second with 56. For his entire MASL career, he has played in 162 games and has 147 goals and 110 assists. He returned to the line up and assisted on the winning goal on Saturday, March 18 after a two-month absence due to a quad injury.

CLOSE CALLS - In Florida's six seasons, they have played in 47 one-goal games, winning 21 and losing 28. Fifteen times they have gone to overtime, with a record of 4-11. In games that have gone to a shootout, they are 0-2.

FIRST THINGS FIRST - The Tropics record when scoring the first goal of the game is impressive. When they've done that, Florida is 60-20 in franchise history. When conceding the first goal of a game, they are just 24-49.

ONLY THE HALF OF IT - Leading at halftime is a pretty indicator for Florida. In six years, they are 65-12 when leading after two quarters. Conversely, when trailing at the half, they are 9-49. When tied at the half, they are 9-8.

TROPICAL TRADE WINDS ARE BLOWING - The Tropics have been involved in three trades this year. Most recently, on Feb. 16, they acquired Joey Tavernese from Utica in exchange for future considerations. In late January, they sent forward VcMor Eligwe to Dallas for defender Mike Jones, and in early February, they sent forward Zach Reget and midfielder Taylor Walter Bond to the Harrisburg Heat for forward Raphael Araujo.

Also joining the Tropics midseason have been forwards Bruno Henrique and Ricardo Diegues, midfielder Thiago Freitas and goalkeeper Rainer Hauss. All signed with the Tropics prior to the 2022-23 season but in late October were ineligible to play at the start of the season due to visa restrictions. However, those guidelines were amended in January, and all four became eligible to rejoin Florida. All four played, and continue to play when the schedule allows, for the Iowa Demon Hawks in Major Arena Soccer League 2 where they signed to play for the 2022-23 M2 season when they were originally not eligible to play in M1.

MILESTONE MOMENTS TONIGHT

Lucas Montelares needs four points to reach 50 career points.

Lucas Teixeira needs four points to reach 50 career points.

Ricardo Diegues is fthree goals away from 100 goals in a Tropics uniform.

Ricardo Diegues is two assists away from 50 career assists for the Tropics.

Anthony Arico is one point away from 100 career points in the MASL.

Victor Parreiras is three goals away from 150 in his MASL career.

Anthony Arico is three assists away from 50 career assists in the MASL.

RECENT MILESTONE MOMENTS

Kiel Williams recorded his 50th career assist on March 19. vs. St. Louis

Vini Dantas scored his 200th career goal on Jan. 8 in a 9-3 win over Harrisburg.

Victor Parreiras recorded his 100th career assist Jan. 15 vs. Milwaukee.

Thiago Freitas' goal on Jan. 20th was his 100th career point in the MASL.

Lucio Gonzaga recorded his 50th career assist in Harrisburg Jan. 28.

JP Reyes played in his 100th career MASL game Jan. 28 in Harrisburg

Drew Ruggles appeared in his 150th career MASL game on Feb. 4 in Dallas

DREW DOES IT - Drew Ruggles, the 2019-20 MASL Defender of the Year, has now scored 47 regular season and playoff goals in his four-plus seasons with the Tropics. Of those 47, nine have been game winners, including Dec. 17 against Utica City and Feb. 4 against Dallas. And Feb. 19 vs. KC. Victor Parreiras leads the franchise 10 game winning goals, and Ricardo Diegues has eight. Ruggles, even as a defender, is now tied for first on the GWG list for a Tropics career with those nine, tied with Ricardo Diegues. Ricardo Carvalho is third with eight and Victor Parreiras fourth seventh among active players.

BLOCK HEADS - The Tropics, despite usually gaudy offensive stats, are stout defensively as well most nights. They have two defenders among the leaders in blocked shots so far this season including Rafa Alves whi is second the MASL with 50 on the season and Chad Vandegriffe, the defending MASL Defender of the Year, who has 45, is third. Florida had an incredible 38 shots blocked in a 6-5 win over Kansas City on March 18, being outshot 54-18. That shattered the previous team record for a game of 24. Alves set a team record with 10 blocks in the game. The blocks were four off the MASL record for a game set by Tacoma on at Baja on Jan. 29, 2017, when they had 42.

INJURY / ROSTER REPORT - Anthony Arico is out with an MCL injury. All others players are available for selection.

Check out the Florida Tropics SC Statistics

• Discuss this story on the Major Arena Soccer League message board...

Major Arena Soccer League Stories from March 26, 2023


The opinions expressed in this release are those of the organization issuing it, and do not necessarily reflect the thoughts or opinions of OurSports Central or its staff.

OurSports Central