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The Tampa Bay Rowdies picked up their second victory of the preseason after defeating Eckerd College by a score of 5-0 on Wednesday night. Three goals in the first half secured the victory for the Rowdies, as newcomers forward Georgi Hristov and forward Amani Walker along with midfielder Luke Mulholland netted the goals for Tampa Bay. Walker and substitute midfielder Shane Hill scored in the second half to make it 5-0.  

Mulholland scored the first goal in the 5th minute, after a great individual run. His shot from the left flank curled into the right side netting, putting the Rowdies ahead early in the half.

The early momentum carried on throughout the half, as the Rowdies continuously created chances on Eckerd's goal. In various opportunities, Walker was able to get into space and get a shot off but Tritons goalkeeper Virtanen was able to keep Eckerd within one goal. The constant pressure paid off as in the 35th minute Hristov laid a pass to Walker, who from inside the 6-yard box was able to slot it past the goalkeeper. 

With just a few minutes left in the half, Hristov would make it 3-0 after crossing his shot from the top of the 18-yard box. Defender Takuya Yamada played a through ball to Hristov, leaving him with only the keeper to beat.

The second half proved to be no different, as the Rowdies dominated the play throughout the final 45 minutes. Walker would capitalize on the momentum and score the 4-0 in the 60th minute. Mulholland played a great one-touch cross from the left flank into Walker who extended the Rowdies lead.

The final goal of the night came in the 72nd minute from a powerful 35-yard strike from substitute Hill. Midfielder Evans Frimpong made a run down the left flank, finding Hill open in the middle. The England native smashed the ball past the goalkeeper into the top right corner of the net.

The Rowdies attack proved to be too much for an Eckerd team that never got situated in the match. With constant pressure from the Rowdies midfield, the Tritons saw themselves dominated throughout the 90 minutes. With the 5-0 victory, the Rowdies have now won two preseason matches, as they prepare for the NASL Spring Season that starts on April 6 against the Carolina RailHawks.

Scoring Summary
Tampa Bay: Luke Mulholland - 5th minute
Tampa Bay: Amani Walker - 35th minute (Asissted by Georgi Hristov)
Tampa Bay: Georgi Hristov - 42nd minute (Assisted by Takuya Yamada)
Tampa Bay: Amani Walker - 60th minute (Assisted by Mulholland)
Tampa Bay: Shane Hill - 72nd minute (Assisted by Frimpong)

Starting XI:
Rowdies: 
GK Will Dieterich (Sanel Boric 45'); D Jordan Gafa (Anton Blackwood 62'), Jay Needham (Daniel Scott 62'), Takuya Yamada (Andres Arango 62'), Raphael Cox; M Luke Mulholland (Jamael Cox 72'), Stuart Campbell (Keith Savage 45'), Kyle Clinton (Shane Hill 62'), Evans Frimpong (Thurstan Johnson 72'); F Amani Walker (Carl Cort 62'), Georgi Hristov (George Tor 62')

Eckerd College:
GK Toni Virtanen; D Anthony Brenner, Eduardo Juarez, Seb Marley, Marcus Lohrmann; M Daniel Lopez, Mark Lee, Nick Jackson, Nick Murawski; F Matt Dolan, Joe Swindell

Up Next:
The Rowdies continue their 2013 Preseason Tour, as they will square off against the University of Tampa on Tuesday, March 19th at 7:30 p.m. The match will be played at Pepin Stadium, located on University Of Tampa's campus (401 West Kennedy Blvd., Tampa, FL 33606). Admission will be free.