On a night when they sold a single-game franchise-record 9,400 tickets, the San Diego Seals punched their ticket to the postseason in spectacular fashion, overcoming an early 5-1 deficit to knock off the Albany FireWolves by a score of 11-10 on Friday night before a raucous crowd at Pechanga Arena.
As they’ve done for most of his five seasons in purple and gold, the Seals turned to their team captain, forward Wes Berg, who scored the game-winner with 3:42 left in the contest to cap off a night in which he scored a game-high four goals to go along with a pair of assists.
“I think he’s the most-clutch player in this league and he’s proven it time and time again,” said Seals Head Coach Patrick Merrill. “It’s his demeanor, right, the way he plays is just all heart. He lays it all out on the floor, but you can’t faze him. He’s cool, calm and collected on the bench and especially comfortable in those big moments.”
“I like playing in those moments and I really enjoy when there’s a lot on the line,” added Berg. “It’s a lot of fun.”
The Seals trailed 2-1 after one quarter and 7-4 at halftime before drawing within a goal on Eli Gobrecht’s shorthanded goal and Ryan Benesch’s power play goal with 55 seconds left on the clock in the third. The momentum however was short-lived as Albany’s Sam Firth scored just 24 seconds into the fourth to put the visitors back up by two. Seals season-points leader Rob Hellyer, who’d been held to just one goal in the Seals’ last four contests, finally broke the seal with a laser from just inside the restraining line and 3:03 into the fourth, the Seals were back within a goal.
“It’s always nice to get one,” said Hellyer following the game. “But it’s more important to do the right things and the small things on the floor at the right times so yeah, you wanna put the ball in the net when you get the chance, that’s my job, but at the same time everyone’s doing incredible on offense and we’re all playing as a unit”.
The final 7:40 of the contest was filled with heart-stopping moments as it featured three ties and three lead changes as the Seals and FireWolves went back and forth. It was Berg who tied the game 8-8, scoring off a feed from Hellyer and just 29 seconds later, the Seals took their first lead of the night when the crafty veteran Benesch picked up a loose ball along the boards and snuck behind the Albany net, beating FireWolves’ goaltender Doug Jamieson over his right shoulder as the Seals staked out to a 9-8 lead.
That lead would only last 26 seconds though as on their very next possession, Albany’s Dyson Williams snuck one by Seals goaltender Chris Origlieri and once again the game was tied, 9-9.
Thirty-five seconds later, momentum swung back in San Diego’s favor as Albany’s Joe Nardella was sent to the penalty box for high-sticking and the Seals wasted no time scoring as Benesch scored his second power-play goal of the night 11 seconds later and the Seals were back on top, 10-9.
Once again though, Albany fought back with Alex Simmons scoring his third of the night with 4:53 left in the fourth and the game was again tied, setting up Berg’s late-game heroics.
“I said it to the guys before the game, I’m so confident in this group,” said Merrill immediately after the game. “Obviously not the way we drew it up, but it’s just the makeup of our group and the character within it. I’m so happy for those guys and the fans. I don’t think we would have gotten that done in the end if it wasn’t for them behind us. What a night.”
With the win, the Seals finish the regular season 9-9 overall and 6-3 at Pechanga Arena. Now the Seals must sit and wait to see where they’ll be headed in the playoffs. The only thing they do know is that the first round will be played on the road with the destinations most likely Buffalo, Saskatchewan or Halifax.
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