Tropics close third season in MASL with 6-4 road loss to rival SeaWolves

LAKELAND, Fla – Orlando broke a 4-4 tie midway through the fourth quarter Saturday night, and went to to defeat the Florida Tropics in the final game of the 2018-19 Major Arena Soccer League season for both sides.

The two South Central rivals met six times this season, with Orlando holding a 4-2 edge. Florida finishes an unexpectedly difficult season at 6-18, while the expansion SeaWolves broke a six-game losing streak to finish at 9-15.

Ricardo Diegues netted his team-best 24th goal just over a minute in the fourth to even the scoreline at 4-all, before Thiago Freitas netted the game winner at the 8:12 mark of the final period for the hosts. 

Victor Parreiras scored twice for Florida to finish as the team's top point getter this year while J.P Reyes also added a goal for the Tropics. Gordy Gurson had a three-point night with two goals and an assist to finish his year with an impressive 34 goals and 24 assists, good for fourth in overall points in the MASL this year.

The Florida Tropics will open their fourth season of Major Arena Soccer Play late in 2019 at the RP Funding Center in Lakeland. Many of the team's arena stars will be suting up for the Tropics SC, a new outdoor team which plays in the United Premier Soccer League at the Lake Myrtle Sports Complex in Auburndale. They will have an early season first-place showdown with St. Petersburg FC Aztecs Wednesday, April 17, with kickoff set for 7:30 p.m.

For more information, visit www.fltropics.com.