March 3, 2023 – Major Arena Soccer League (MASL) – Florida Tropics SC News Release
MILWAUKEE, Wisconsin — The Florida Tropics, presented by Bond Clinic, will be gunning for
first place in the Eastern Division of the Major Arena Soccer League when they travel to
take on the Milwaukee Wave Saturday.
Kickoff will be at 7:05 p.m. EST, and the game will be broadcast live by MASL TV on Twitch
(link: twitch.tv/masl_soccer).
Milwaukee is currently in first with 30 points, and has beaten Florida in both previous
meetings this year, 6-4 in Lakeland on Jan. 15 and 6-5 in Milwaukee on Jan. 20. The Wave
are currently 10-5-1, while Florida comes into the game 9-6-2 (overtime losses), good for
29 points. Milwaukee has played one less game than Florida, and will make up that game in
hand Sunday when they travel to St. Louis to meet the Ambush.
Milwaukee is led by Ian Bennett – who played on loan with the Tropics in the 2020-21 MASL
season when the Wave did not play because of the Covid pandemic – has 27 goals and six
assists in 15 games. However, he did not play last weekend in a road loss in Kansas City
because of a hamstring injury, and his availability for Saturday’s game is listed as
questionable.
Ricardo Carvalho – who did not dress for Florida in their 9-8 win over Tacoma last Sunday
because he was away playing for the U.S. Men’s National Beach Soccer team in two
friendlies in Spain – and Vini Dantas lead the Tropics with 14 goals and 10 assists each.
Victor Parreiras, who has only played in 11 games this season, is still third on the team in
scoring, but is out again this weekend with a quad injury.
“We’ve been really shorthanded with injuries and other reasons so to come into Saturday
with a two-game win streak has given us some of the confidence and togetherness I think
we were lacking earlier in the year,” Coach Clay Roberts said. “Everyone has stepped
forward to contribute, both offensively and defensively, and that’s what will need to happen
Saturday. With again a weekend with just a single game, there’s no reason every player
can’t leave it all on the floor for 60 minutes. We did that against Kansas City and for the
most part last weekend, so that has to be the mindset.”
After Saturday, Florida will stay on the road for three more games starting Sunday, March
12 in Utica, followed by a back-to-back doubleheader in Kansas City on Friday, March 17
and in St. Louis on Saturday, March 18. The Tropics will return home to close their regular
season with games…