The slide is over. The Seals went into Georgia’s Gas South Arena on Sunday afternoon and pulled off the improbable, knocking off the previously 10-5 Georgia Swarm by a score of 9-7 to end their five-game losing streak and keep the team’s postseason hopes alive. Veteran team captain Wes Berg and fellow veteran Ben McIntosh led the way offensively as the two combined for 10 points on 5 goals and 5 assists. Rookie Noah Armitage scored twice while fellow rookie Chris Kavanagh scored his first-career NLL goal. And Chris Origlieri continued his dominance between the pipes stopping 33 of the Swarm’s 40 shots in out dueling Georgia’s Brett Dobson.
The Seals were dominant in all phases of the game while holding the Swarm to just 7 goals. San Diego won 15 of 19 faceoffs behind Trevor Baptiste, they scored on three of their five power play opportunities, and the defense forced nine turnovers. Berg led the Seals with six points on two goals and four assists, while McIntosh had a team-high three goals and an assist.
The Seals got off to a fast start and led 4-1 after Kavanagh’s goal 3:03 into the second quarter, and every time Georgia scored to narrow the gap, the Seals had an answer. The Seals went goal for goal in the second and led 6-3 at the half. Early in the third, Georgia scored a power play goal to get back within a pair, but Armitage scored his second of the game just 19 seconds later to put the Seals back up by three, and McIntosh would add a power play score late in the third as the Seals took an 8-4 lead into the final period.
The Swarm struck again early in the fourth on the power play to draw within three, but the Seals defense and Origlieri stood their ground for most of the quarter. The Swarm made one final push with another power play goal with 3:23 left in the contest to get back within two, but just 59 seconds following, McIntosh buried his third of the afternoon to put the Seals back on top by three and it was all they would need as they would go on to the 9-7 win.
The Seals now sit at 7-9 with two games remaining and both will take place next weekend against their rivals from Sin City, the Las Vegas Desert Dogs, who are also 7-9 and fighting the Seals for the eighth and final playoff spot. The teams will meet Friday night at Pechanga Arena and Saturday night at the Lee’s Family Forum in Vegas. Tickets for Friday night’s game, which will face off at 7:30 p.m. in San Diego, are on sale at https://sealslax.com/.
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