Playoff dream ends as Florida Tropics SC fall to Harrisburg, 4-2

HARRISBURG, Pa. – The Florida Tropics SC dream of making the Major Arena Soccer League playoffs despite being just a first-year team came to an end in Harrisburg Saturday night as the Heat recorded a 4-2 win at the State Farm Show Arena.

With the victory – the Heat's second in as many nights against Florida after an 11-6 triumph Friday – Harrisburg wrapped up the second and final playoff spot in the eastern division behind the regular-season champion Baltimore Blast.

Florida , 8-11, will conclude its inaugural MASL season Sunday afternoon in Syracuse with a 4 p.m. start.

The Tropics played much better on Saturday, trailing just 3-2 heading into the final 15 minutes on a first quarter goal by Jowayne Laidley and a third-quarter marker by captain and team leading scorer  Freddy Moojen.

Marcel Feenstra got his second start in goal this season, and faced 27 Harrisburg shots and was credited with 18 saves.

Florida went to a sixth attacker with 3:50 to go in the game, still down a goal, but the Heat put it out of reach with an empty-net goal by Dominic Francis with 43 seconds to play. Harrisburg improved to 10-9, and will meet the Blast in the first-round of the playoffs.