November 25, 2022 – Major Arena Soccer League (MASL) News Release
Like the San Diego Sockers in the Western Conference, the Florida Tropics are the team to beat in the East.
The Tropics have been the beasts of the east the past several season.
The only thing they have lacked has been a victory lap with the Ron Newman Trophy as the best team in Major Arena Soccer League.
The 14-team MASL, which kicks off with a home-and-home series between the Kansas City Comets and St. Louis Ambush this holiday weekend, has a new alignment.
The Western Division includes the San Diego Sockers, Monterrey Flash, Chihuahua Savage, Tacoma Stars, Dallas Sidekicks, Empire Strykers and Mesquite Outlaws.
The Florida Tropics, Milwaukee Wave, Baltimore Blast, Kansas City Comets, St. Louis Ambush, Utica City FC and Harrisburg Heat comprise the Eastern Division.
Last season, the MASL had three four-team divisions. With the addition/return of two clubs, the league decided to switch to a pair of divisions.
The 2022-23 regular season will run through Sunday, April 2, with the playoffs following.
The top three teams in each division will qualify for the postseason. The fourth- and fifth-place clubs in the divisions will meet in a play-in match to decide the final playoff berth. In the quarterfinals, the top-seeded team in each division will meet the No. 4 seed, while the second- and third-place teams will face off. The winners will meet in the division finals with the victors moving on to the championship series.
Here is a look at the Eastern Division:
Florida Tropics
The Tropics have been one of the leading teams the past several seasons, just falling short of winning a league title. Perhaps this season will be the charm. After posting an 18-3-2 regular season record under head coach Clay Roberts, they lost to the Sockers in the championship series.
Like the Sockers, the defending Eastern Division champions bring back a talented cast that is aiming to win another division title.
The core of last year’s Eastern Division champions returns with plenty of talent, firepower and defensive prowess to make another run for the title again.
Midfielder Victor Parreiras (29 goals, 23 assists), an MASL Elite Six selection, leads an impressive attack. He is complemented by a pair of lethal forwards in Zach Reget (27 g, 16 a) and Ricardo Carvalho (24 g, 19 a).
An imposing backline is led by veterans Chad Vandegriffe, the MASL defender of the year, Drew Ruggles (12 g, 14 a), and JP Reyes, who played for the…