TROPICS ROUT HEAT 12-3 FOR 7TH WIN OF SEASON

LAKELAND, Fla – Team captain Victor Parreiras scored a career high four goals to pace the Florida Tropics to a 12-3 rout of the Harrisburg Heat in a Major Arena Soccer League game Sunday at the RP Funding Center. 

The Tropics are proving to be more than just an offensive juggernaut however. While their 60 goals leads the entire league in 2021-22, they have allowed just 23 goals in posting a 7-1 start to the season. 

Parreiras scored two highlight reel goals in the second quarter to break a 1-1 tie, and send the Tropics on to their lopsided win. His first came on a scissors kick from about 15 feet out, and his second a rocket underneath the crossbar on a restart from the top of the arc. 

In all, he finished with five points. Bruno Henrique and Brenno Oliveria each had a pair of goals, while Kiel Williams, Anthony Arico, Zach Reget and Ben Espinal each scored once. Dom Francis had two for the Heat, who fell to 0-5. 

After peppering the Heat goal with 48 shots Friday night in a 7-1 win, the Tropics took 37 shots on Sunday. Hugo Silva faced 24 Harrisburg shots. He leads the league in goals against average and saves percentage and is tied for the MASL lead in goalie wins with six. 

The Tropics will play games seven and eight of a nine-game homestand next weekend when the Dallas Sidekicks – winners of five of their last six – come to Lakeland for games Friday (7:05 p.m.) and Sunday (3:05 p.m.) 

Both games will be broadcast live on the MASL’s YouTube channel The game will also be broadcast on the “For the Fans” network available on DirecTV (Channel 623) and many cable and streaming services such as AT&T Uverse, Verizon Fios and Roku. 

Local fans can score free general admission to all of the team’s home games this winter thanks to its sponsors who are presenting the “Tropics Blitz”. 

The “Tropics Blitz” will provide free general admission tickets as a way of providing a great evening of family entertainment for parents and kids who have had their activities curtailed because of the ongoing pandemic. Vehicles with two or more persons will pay $20 to park, and then be able to take their parking receipt to the RP Funding Center box office for the same number of free tickets to that day’s game as occupants in the vehicle. Single occupant vehicles will pay just $10 for parking.

For more information, visit www.fltropics.com.