The odds of the San Diego Seals making the 2026 NLL playoffs increased greatly late Friday night as the Seals dealt a 14-12 blow to the Las Vegas Desert Dogs on an electric night when more than 9,000 fans packed into Pechanga Arena.
For the Seals, it was their highest goal-scoring output since the team’s season opener in Ottawa back on Nov. 29 and the majority of the goals came from an unlikely source as it was transition man Zach Currier who found the back of the net a career-high five times as part of a nine-point night.
It also was a resilient Seals defense that clamped down after surrendering eight first-half goals to their rivals from Sin City. Chris Origlieri continued his marvelous play in front of the net, stopping 39 of Las Vegas’ 51 shots on the night, while the Seals were faster to the ball, totaling 75 loose balls secured to the Desert Dogs’ 50.
And while it was Currier who stole the show on offense, Ben McIntosh and Noah Armitage both recorded hat tricks for the Seals and for Armitage, it was the rookie’s first-ever in the National Lacrosse League.
“They have a really good offense in Vegas and they gave us all we could handle, but our offense came through for us tonight, starting with Wes and Zach and our leaders,” said Seals Head Coach Patrick Merrill. “Really impressed with Chris (Origlieri). Chris closes out games better than any goalie in the League and he did it again tonight. That was huge. (Armitage) giving us a few goals was big. I have to shout out to Danny Logan too. I don’t know if there’s a better defender in this League and he proved it again tonight.”
Things didn’t look so bright for the Seals early on. McIntosh scored the game’s first goal just 1:04 in, rebounding a Connor Robinson shot and sneaking one by Las Vegas’ Alex Buque, but then it was all Desert Dogs as they went on a 4-0 run over the next 7:51 to surge ahead 4-1. Armitage would score the first of his three with 2:36 left in the quarter to trim the Seals deficit to 4-2 after one.
The second quarter was an offensive explosion as the teams combined for 10 goals. Tre Leclaire and Wes Berg scored 24 seconds apart in the opening minute of the second to draw the Seals even at 4-4, and just shy of five minutes later, Currier netted his first of the night, igniting a stretch of three straight goals for a natural hat trick. Las Vegas would score twice however in between Currier’s first and second as the team’s went back and forth. Currier’s third gave the Seals a 7-6 lead with 4:13 left in the half. Vegas again would score twice to pull back ahead before McIntosh scored his second of the night late in the quarter and the teams went to the locker room at the half tied 8-8.
The third quarter looked nothing like the second as the Seals held the Desert Dogs scoreless throughout while neither team scored during the opening 11:09. The Seals finally cracked the code when Armitage scored his second with 3:51 remaining and Currier his fourth at the 1:32 mark and after outscoring Las Vegas 2-0, the Seals took a 10-8 lead into the fourth.
The offensive momentum the Seals found late in the third carried over into the fourth as Berg scored his second of the night just 27 seconds in to put the Seals back up by three, 11-8. From there it was simply a back-and-forth affair as the team’s literally traded goals. Armitage and McIntosh both capped their hat tricks while Currier scored his fifth of the night. Down 14-11 after McIntosh’s goal at the 4:01 mark, Las Vegas’ Chris Cloutier scored his third of the night on a power play with 2:09 remaining but the Seals’ defense shut the door as they held on for the 14-12 win.
With the victory, the Seals improve to 8-9 and they greatly improve their playoff chances. They will clinch a playoff spot either with a win over the Desert Dogs on Saturday night in Las Vegas or with one Georgia win over Rochester. Those teams will meet Saturday afternoon in Georgia and again on Sunday afternoon in Rochester.
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