Game Preview: Seals vs Warriors

March 24, 2022

The San Diego Seals will head North for the weekend for a rematch of the season opener with the Vancouver Warriors for the second of three meetings between the two clubs. San Diego fell to Vancouver in a one-goal game last time out.

“We’ve been looking forward to this game since the home opener,” said General Manager and Head Coach Patrick Merrill. “We’ve had a sour taste in our mouths since that loss and we’ve been ready for the rematch. They’re a good team and we know we have our work cut out for us. Every time we’re in this building, it feels like a dog fight. We expect nothing less on Friday night.”

All-time, the Seals hold a 4-2 record over the Warriors including wins in every game at Rogers Arena. San Diego rides a three-game win streak heading into the weekend, following wins over West Division foes Calgary, Saskatchewan and Colorado. The team’s defense and goaltending have held their opponents to only 20 goals in the past three games, averaging over just 6 goals a game.

“We need to stick to what we know,” continued Merrill. “We can’t get too bogged down thinking about what they’re doing, we need to focus on ourselves. This is a big game for the season series, we know the importance.”

Seals goaltender Frank Scigliano continues to lead the NLL in goals against average and save percentage. The team hopes to rally behind the goalie-of-the-year contender on Friday night to secure their fourth-straight win. Earlier this season, Scigliano made NLL history becoming the only goalie to allow four or less goals in a game three times in the same season.

“They always play us tough,” concluded Merrill. “It’s never easy going into their building. Every win we’ve gotten in their arena has been a tight one, coming down to the last whistle. We need to be prepared in all aspects of the game, as it’s a huge game in our division. We have some good momentum moving forward, but we can’t let up the gas now.”

Fans in San Diego are welcome to join the Seals for a watch party at Kings & Convicts Brewing in Leucadia. The all-new King’s Seal Beer will be available for only $5. Anyone unable to attend the watch party will be able to watch the game locally on FOX 5 San Diego and streaming on ESPN+. ESPN will stream all San Diego Seals games throughout the 2021-22 season.