ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. – Yann Ekra and Sebastian Guenzatti each recorded two goals and two assists while Leo Fernandes also found the net twice as the Tampa Bay Rowdies took a 6-0 victory against the New York Red Bulls II and in the process extended their shutout streak to 711 minutes, now the second-longest in the Championship’s history.

Looking to add to their four-game winning streak, the Rowdies almost made an ideal start as Sebastian Guenzatti found the net with a header in just the fourth minute only to be denied by an offside flag. Tampa Bay was kept out again six minutes later after Steevan Dos Santos was brought down in the penalty area, but Guenzatti’s low shot to the left corner was met by an outstanding diving save by Red Bulls II goalkeeper Luca Lewis to turn the ball wide of the post.

There was no denying Leo Fernandes for the hosts in the 12th minute, however, as Sebastian Dalgaard found space on the right side to deliver a cross through the top of the six-yard area that the winger got on the end of to finish, his shot finding the back of the net despite Lewis getting a piece of the shot on its way in.

The last side to score against the Rowdies prior to its six-game shutout streak, New York almost found an opening just before the half-hour mark only for Forrest Lasso to make a key interception to knock a low cross from the right. Tampa Bay took control of the game with two goals in four minutes in the final 10 minutes of the half, the first coming from Guenzatti as he drove forward onto a slipped pass by Ekra from 35 yards out into the penalty area before firing low into the right side of the net for his 11th goal of the season. The Rowdies captain then set up Fernandes for his second of the night in the 39th minute, chesting the ball into the part of his teammate as he broke toward the left side of the penalty area for a near-post finish.

The Rowdies added to their lead four minutes into the second half as Yann Ekra played an angled pass from the right channel that found Guenzatti for a low finish and his second of the night, and in the 58th minute the two reversed roles as the Uruguayan forward gained possession on the left side and dropped a pass back for the trailing Ekra to shoot into the right corner of the net. Ekra then added his second goal of the night with 21 minutes to go as he stole possession in the attacking third and moved into the penalty area where he paused to pick his spot and fire low into the right corner of the net.

The Red Bulls II had a late chance to break the Rowdies’ shutout streak in the final minute as Mathias Jorgensen got into the left side of the penalty area and sent a low shot to the near post that Rowdies goalkeeper Evan Louro turned wide. That would be all for the visitors, however, as Tampa Bay marched on in its pursuit of the best record in the USL Championship with its second five-game winning streak of the season.

USLChampionship.com Man of the Match

Yann Ekra, Tampa Bay Rowdies – Ekra recorded two goals and two assists and had six key passes overall, while completing 29 of 34 passes and making 12 recoveries in midfield for the hosts.

Scoring Summary
TBR – Leo Fernandes (Sebastian Dalgaard) 13’
TBR – Sebastian Guenzatti (Yann Ekra) 36’
TBR – Leo Fernandes (Sebastian Guenzatti) 39’
TBR – Sebastian Guenzatti (Yann Ekra) 49’
TBR – Yann Ekra (Sebastian Guenzatti) 58’
TBR – Yann Ekra 69’

Full Box Score