Tropics hope to catch a Wave as Milwaukee pays a visit Saturday

LAKELAND, Fla. -- The Tropics SC and Milwaukee Wave have only met one in Florida's two years in the Major Arena Soccer League, but Saturday night the two will square off in the first of four meetings during the 2018-19 season as rivals in the South Central division. Kickoff is 7:05.

Two of the league's top early-season scorers will be on display. Milwaukee's Ian Bennett is second in the league with eight goals in two games. Florida's Guilherme is tied for fourth overall with six goals in three games. 

Both Bennet and Max Ferdinand were first team all MASL picks last season, and Bennett was a finalist for league MVP, scoring an incredible 111 goals in the last two-plus seasons. Over the same stretch, Ferdinand has 33 goals and 65 assists.

Milwaukee is the definition of being one of the league's legacy teams, having played its first professional season of indoor soccer in the old American Indoor Soccer Association in 1984-85. That makes them the longest continuously operated professional soccer team, indoors or outdoors, in the country.

The Wave are 2-0, and have put up a 10-spot in each of their two wins. Florida, 2-2, comes in off a 7-5 win over Harrisburg last weekend, led by a hat trick by Guilherme. The Wave lead the South Central, with Florida tied with the St. Louis Ambush (also 2-2) for second. 

The Tropics will conclude their three game homestand next Saturday when they host local rival Orlando. Fans can get tickets by calling the Tropics front office at 863-605-4131, or online at www.fltropics.com. The game will be broadcast live at www.masl.tv.