MASL TEAMS MAKE ROSTER MOVES

UTICA – FLORIDA

Utica City FC completed a trade with the Florida Tropics to acquire Andrew Hoxie and Lucio Gonzaga. Utica City also signed free agents Gabriel Pewu and Sami Mutemwa. Florida acquired Ricardo Diegues and Alencar Ventura Junior from City FC

Hoxie attended William and Mary University where he earned multiple accolades for the Tribe including a third team All-American selection and the CAA Player of the Year in his senior season. After graduation, he was drafted by the San Jose Earthquakes in the third round of the 2010 MLS Superdraft. From there, he signed with the Rochester Rhinos in Division II of the USSF. Hoxie played for the Rochester Rhinos, Orange County Blues, and Rochester Lancers before signing with the Baltimore Blast in 2015. He played five seasons with the Blast, then signed with Florida in 2021.

Gonzaga rejoins Utica City FC after playing in Utica in the 2018-19 season. That year he tallied 11 goals and 13 assists in 20 games. Gonzaga started his youth career in Brazil and later played professionally in Brazil and Uruguay. He spent five years with the Baltimore Blast, three with the Harrisburg Heat and one with the Ontario Fury before his stint with UCFC. He has scored two goals in three games with Florida this year.

Diegues was an original member of the Major Arena Soccer League Tropics when they debuted in 2016-17, and for a long time even after signing with Utica after the 2018-19 season was Florida’s all-time leading scorer before being eclipsed in goals and total points by his good friend and former line-mate Victor Parreiras.

In three seasons with the Tropics, Diegues scored 69 goals and added 29 assists in just 57 games. His best season came in 2017-18 when he recorded 28 goals and 16 assists, both single season career highs. In 12 games with Utica in 2018-19, he scored 19 goals. He is expected to be available to play on Feb. 12 in Dallas.

Ventura Junior is no stranger to the indoor game, and was a teammate with Tropics forward Zach Reget on the U.S. National Futsal team that played in the 2021 World Cup tournament. He has played a total of six games in the MASL, including three last year for Utica, showing great production with six goals scored. The 6-1, 180-pound midfielder also has dressed for Cedar Rapids and Turlock in MASL play.

Following the trade, Utica City signed free agents Pewu and Mutemwa who were playing with the Cleveland Crunch (M2). The two of them led Cleveland to an M2 Championship in 2021. A native of Cleveland Heights, OH, Pewu competed for four seasons at Cleveland State University before beginning his professional career. He led the team in points for two seasons and was selected as first team All-Horizon League. He has scored 4 goals in 5 games with the Crunch this season.

Mutemwa has posted 4 goals and 4 assists in 5 games with Cleveland. A Native of Johannesburg, South Africa, he played his collegiate soccer at Lake Erie College. He was named an All-American twice and a first-team All-Ohio and All-Conference selection. To cap it off, Mutemwa earned the male scholar-athlete of the year award in 2016. After college, he has played for the Cleveland Legacy (2017), Cleveland SC and the Akron Vulcans (NFPL).

HARRISBURG – TACOMA

The Harrisburg Heat have acquired Ty Hall from the Tacoma Stars. Hall had spent the previous two seasons with Harrisburg before joining Tacoma this season. He has appeared in four games for the Stars with three blocks and one assist.