SEALS WIN FOURTH IN A ROW, DEFEAT DEFENDING CHAMPIONS 13-12

The San Diego Seals earned their fourth consecutive win on Friday night as the team defeated the reigning NLL Champion Saskatchewan Rush, 13-12, and secured their place at the top of the West Division.

“They’re a really good team,” said general manager and head coach Patrick Merrill. “They’re well-coached and we know how hard they compete. Our goal was to match them punch-for-punch and try to hang in there and win one late.  We were able to come out on top in the end against a really good team, so that a big win.”

Hanging on to a one-goal lead, the Seals defense held the Rush scoreless for over six minutes to close out the game.

“It was a close game,” said Seals captain Brodie Merrill. “There’s not much of a margin for error when you play Saskatchewan. You have to be tight and focus on the details every shift. Any kind of lapse you have they’re going to make you pay. We had an early lead and we knew they were going to have their push, and we held off.”

Seals goaltender Frank Scigliano stood tall between the pipes all night. Scigliano stopped 39 shots on goal, including 12 in the fourth quarter.

“I think it’s his demeanor,” continued Merrill. “He’s a very solid guy, he’s reliable, a great teammate and someone you want to play in front of. But as a goalie, he’s coming into his own. He’s a younger guy, it’s been fun to kind of watch him be our x factor and you don’t close a game like this without goaltending. He made the timely saves tonight.”

Forward Garrett Billings finished the night with ten points (1 goal, 9 assists), while forward Kyle Buchanan added four goals and four assists in the win. The Seals defensive unit was strong for an entire 60 minutes tonight against a threatening Rush offense.

“I credit the defense,” said goaltender Frank Scigliano. “They give me the opportunity to see the ball. We’re playing our systems well. We’re taking good shots and I credit a lot of the success to them.”

The San Diego Seals can clinch a playoff spot tomorrow night if Vancouver falls to Colorado. San Diego will hit the road to play the Calgary Roughnecks next weekend. The team returns to Pechanga Arena San Diego on April 12 at 7:00 PM PST to face the Saskatchewan Rush for the season series finale. Reserve your seats today at SealsLax.com.