Rochester vs. San Diego: Game Preview

In a galaxy far, far away the San Diego Seals will face the Rochester Knighthawks as the team celebrates the reigning NLL Rookie of the Year, Austin Staats, this Saturday at 7:30pm at Pechanga Arena for ‘Wookiee of the Year’ Night.

Coming off a thrilling 13-12 win over the Calgary Roughnecks, the Seals look continue the momentum Saturday night at home against the expansion Knighthawks.

“We feel like we’ve been playing a lot better as of late and we’re hoping to get to .500 this weekend,” said general manager and head coach Patrick Merrill. “Even though Rochester is an expansion team, they’ve lost a lot of close games and we can’t underestimate them. We’re looking to ride the momentum from last weekend for the next couple weeks and down the stretch.”

San Diego has won four of the last five games, outscoring opponents 67-53. The team sits a half-point out of a playoff spot with seven games remaining in the regular season.

“It’s been helpful to get a few guys back from injury,” continued Merrill. “The return of Casey [Jackson] and Austin [Staats] was a boost, not only for our offense, but for the entire team. A lot of the credit has to go to Josh [Sanderson] and Bill [Greer]. They have made adjustments with the offense and defense, and have tightened up our systems. I think the guys are developing good chemistry, playing with more confidence and experiencing more success. [Our assistant coaches] deserve a lot of credit.”

With his five-goal, eight-point performance last week, the ‘Wookiee of the Year’ Austin Staats’ had a breakout game against Calgary.

“I think he said it best last week when he said, ‘I’m finally back’,” continued Merrill. “It took a few games for him to feel comfortable with his knee and his own game after being off for almost an entire year. We knew it was a matter of time before he had a breakout game like that. He brings a certain presence on and off the floor, and that was clear in the game. He had a great energy and was very prepared. He’s so competitive and has the ability to change, and that’s exactly what he did in Calgary. He scored timely goals, he made big plays when we needed them, and we expect that to continue.”

The Seals are proud to offer fans a variety of ticket packages for Star Wars night at Pechanga Arena. The Coronado Brewing Co. Party Pack includes two tickets and four beers for only $29. The Family 4 Pack includes four tickets, four hot dogs, four drinks for only $49.

Fans unable to attend the game on Saturday will be able to watch the game on Síntesis TV and B/R Live. B/R Live – Turner’s live sports streaming service – will stream all San Diego Seals games throughout the 2019-20 season.