Tropics Open Their Season With A 7-6 Win Against Blast

December 10, 2022 – Major Arena Soccer League (MASL) – Baltimore Blast News Release

The Baltimore Blast returned to Towson SECU Arena for their second game of the season, welcoming the Florida Tropics, who opened their season tonight with their first win. The Blast were defeated by the Florida Tropics, 7-6, despite Lucas Roque’s second hat trick of the season. Florida’s Drew Ruggles recorded a hat trick as well.

The first goal of the game went to the Tropics courtesy of Ruggles, but Moises Gonzalez tied the game less than a minute later off an assist from former Tropics player ​​Ricardinho Sobreira. The Tropics took the lead again after Chad Vandegriffe found the back of the net.

A diving save from Blast goalkeeper William Vanzela with 1:30 left in the opening quarter kept the game at 2-1, which is how the first quarter ended.

The teams traded possessions throughout most of the second quarter before Roque scored for the Blast to even the game at 2-2, with Sobreira picking up the assist. The Tropics responded immediately with Ricardo Carvalho scoring a goal.

The Blast had a chance to tie the game up with two minutes before the break, but were unable to connect and score on an open net. The Tropics held a 3-2 lead at the end of the second quarter, a quarter that saw 22 combined fouls by either team.

The Blast held the shot advantage 15-13, while Sobreira recorded two points off two assists. Victor Parreiras led the Tropics in points thanks to two assists over the first two quarters.

Carvalho put in his second of the night and the first goal of the second half off an assist from Ruggles to give the Tropics a 4-2 lead with 7:23 remaining in the third quarter. A two-minute period of 4v4 play did not result in any goals.

Heading into the fourth quarter, the Tropics held a 4-2 lead. A crisp strike from Roque less than two minutes into the final quarter cut the Blast’s deficit to 4-3, with Jonatas Melo picking up the assist.

Florida again responded quickly, with Ruggles scoring his second goal of the night to give the Tropics a 5-3 lead. Roque picked up a hat trick a few minutes later off a free kick from Juan Pereira to cut the lead to 5-4.

With 2:15 remaining, Sobreira knotted the game at five apiece, recording his first goal for the Blast. With 1:36 remaining, Ruggles recorded a hat trick to give the Tropics a 6-5 lead, and around 30 seconds later Zach Reget put the game out of reach with another goal for the Tropics.

Sobreira assisted on a goal to…