Head Coach Patrick Merrill is looking forward to having the team back together this weekend for a second training camp before the team heads off to Toronto and Rochester for a pair of preseason games against the Rock and Knighthawks.
The goal for this weekend is simple: build chemistry.
“It’ll be exciting to get the boys back together here in San Diego,” said Merrill. “It’s really the last time we’ll be able to come together as a group out here before our home opener on Dec. 19th. It’ll be a great opportunity to allow our veterans and returning player to build chemistry with the new guys while the coaches get another chance to implement our offensive and defensive schemes.”
The players will spend a good chunk of the day on Friday at Point Loma Nazarene University where the coaching staff and lacrosse operations team will have a chance to gather data analytics as the players go through biometric and biomechanic testing. It’s all part of a partnership that the Seals announced in with PLNU last October. From there, the team will practice on Friday evening at the Rady Children’s practice field and again on Saturday afternoon before departing.
Seals fans also got their first chance to see the team take the turf at the team’s new home, Frontwave Arena, during last weekend’s scrimmage and the reviews from the fans were overwhelmingly positive.
Ian Skolnik is one who’s very excited to see the Seals play at Frontwave.
“Super sweet setup,” said Skolnik. “It's nice and tight. It feels intimate and feels like the energy will be nice and tight and contained. I’m excited to see this place full and ready to rock!”
Randy Stephens and his family traveled from Temecula to check out Sunday’s scrimmage and they were thrilled to be there.
“We love it,” said Stephens. “We're really excited because we live in Temecula and it's a lot closer. Also, it's a new arena, our seats are amazing, and the atmosphere is just insane. I think it's really going to be a plus for Frontwave and for the Seals and we're excited to be here.”
Seals faceoff specialist Trevor Baptiste was among those getting his first look at Frontwave Arena and he too was excited.
“It's incredible,” said Baptiste. “We're really excited to be here and I think it's gonna be an amazing place to watch us kick some butt. And I think just as much as it’s great for us, it’s also great for our fans. It’s a place where you can really come, be comfortable, have great concessions and there's not really a bad seat in the house. It's an intimate environment and you can really feel that on the field too. It’s just gonna make this place really exciting!”
And for fans like Corey Petruzziello who call Oceanside home, they’re especially thrilled to see the Seals play down the road at Frontwave Arena.
“It's awesome,” said Petruzziello. “It's new, it's clean and everything’s current and different. The layout’s really cool and it’s just so cool to see the Seals here. It's awesome that they're here. Bringing the Seals’ energy to this new building with the music and the ambience, it will be awesome.”
It’s not too late for fans to join Petruzziello and the others. Season and single-game tickets, including the Dec. 19 home opener against the FireWolves are on sale at sealslax.com and frontwavearena.com.
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