Lakeland gets huge road win as Assumpcao nets first of year in 1-0 win over North County United

PORT ST. LUCIE – The Lakeland Tropics regained first place in the USL Premier Development League southeast division with a 1-0 road win Tuesday night over North County United.

The Tropics, now 5-1-1, have 16 points, two better than the now second place SIMA Aguilas who are 4-0-2 with 14 points. The Tropics avenged their only tie of the season so far as the two teams to a 3-3 final in late May in Lakeland.

After the two teams settled for a scoreless tie after the first 45 minutes, Eckerd College's Mateus Assumpcao netted his first of the season in the 68th minute for the only score of the contest. About 10 minutes prior to that North County's Jon-Michael Perkins banged a shot off the goal post too keep the game tied.

Lakeland will be back at home Saturday night, in a doubleheader with the first-year Florida Lady Tropics of the Women's Premier Soccer League. The Lady Tropics,  off to a 0-1-1 start this spring, will host the Puerto Rico Pride in a 4 p.m. kickoff, followed by the PDL Tropics hosting The Villages SC (3-1-1)  in a key  division showdown starting at 7:30 p.m.

In honor of Father's Day, complimentary tickets to the games courtesy of Bond Clinic, Sykes Lakeland and the Best Buy Soccer Shop in Tampa are available at www.lakelandtropics.com. It is the first of three straight at home, all against teams who participated in this year's Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup.