UTICA – Utica City FC, which opens its first Major Arena Soccer League (MASL) season with games Saturday and Sunday, announced Monday that the club has signed Mauricio Salles and Lucio Gonzaga.

Salles split time in the 2016-17 season with Ontario before joining the Soles de Sonora, helping lead the Mexico-based team to the MASL championship series. He scored 17 goals in 18 games and seven goals in seven playoff games with Sonora last season. He has appeared in 160 career arena games and has scored over 200 goals and over 100 assists, playing for the Detroit Ignition, Rochester Lancers, Ontario Fury and Soles de Sonora prior to joining the Tropics.

Salles' best season came in 2014-15, when he had 40 goals in 20 games for the Rochester Lancers. Two years ago with Ontario, he was a 30-goal scorer.

Gonzaga, a native of Brazil, spent the early days of his professional career playing in Brazil and Uruguay for RC Montevideo, Araxá, Rio Branco Andradas and São Caetano. He began his soccer career in the United States in 2007 with the Baltimore Blast. After playing for the New Jersey Ironmen of the Xtreme Soccer League for a year, Gonzaga returned to the MASL in 2009.

Utica City FC opens its inaugural season at 7:05 p.m. Saturday against the Harrisburg Heat at the Farm Show Arena in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. The home opener is set for 2 p.m. Sunday against the reigning champions, the Baltimore Blast. Tickets are still available at empirestatetix.com or by calling (315) 790-9070.