It’s come down to Game 18 for the San Diego Seals (8-9) and it’s a win-and-you’re-in rematch against the Albany FireWolves (7-10) with the playoffs on the line this Friday night (April 18) at Pechanga Arena. Faceoff is 7:30 p.m. PT.
For the Seals, it’s an opportunity to exorcise the demon that’s been the FireWolves, who’ve won the last three head-to-head meetings, including two playoff wins at the end of last season to go along with last Saturday’s 12-10 win at the MVP Arena in Albany.
Friday night will be Fan Appreciation Night at Pechanga Arena. The first 4,000 fans into the Arena on Friday night will receive a Seals-themed Beach Tote Bag; it will be $5 Beer Night featuring the team’s signature brew, Salty’s Golden Crown by Mason Ale Works, and following the game, players will sign autographs on the field for all fans 14-and-under.
When the Seals are at home, Pechanga Arena, aka “The Electric Factory,” is one of the toughest arenas to play in for opposing teams in the National Lacrosse League and the team will need its fans to be at their loudest come Friday night. The Seals are 5-3 at home this season and they’ve won eight of their last 11 regular-season games at Pechanga Arena. And since the start of the 2022-23 season, San Diego is 20-6 in regular-season games played inside The Electric Factory.
And for those unable to make it to Pechanga Arena on Friday night, the game will be broadcast locally in San Diego on KUSI-TV and streamed to a global audience on ESPN+.
San Diego and Albany have followed similar trajectories this season. The Seals started their season 3-5 and then won 5-of-6. They come into Friday night’s game however having lost three straight, but all three of those losses came during an arduous four-week stretch in which the Seals have played road games in consecutive weekends at Calgary, Rochester (N.Y.), Halifax (Nova Scotia) and Albany. And on the opposite side, the FireWolves started their season 2-8 but have since won five of their last seven.
At 8-9, the Seals are in a dogfight to qualify for the NLL Playoffs, but they can earn their way in with a win on Friday night. Five teams have already clinched playoff spots (Buffalo, Saskatchewan, Halifax, Rochester and Vancouver) while seven teams are vying for the final three spots. Calgary (8-8) currently sits in the sixth spot, but the Roughnecks have to play two games this coming weekend, while Georgia (8-9), the Seals (8-9), Ottawa (8-9), Colorado (8-9), Albany (7-10) and Philadelphia (7-10) each have one game remaining and are all in playoff contention. If the season were to end today, the Seals would make the playoffs as the No. 8 seed by virtue of holding tiebreaker advantages over Ottawa and Colorado.
Offense has been a strength of the Seals this season as they rank fourth in the NLL in goals scored (204). Forward and team captain Wes Berg has paced the team with 45 goals, which ranks third in the League, and he’s scored 16 of those 45 goals in the team’s last five games. Berg also has 37 assists, giving him 82 total points, which is second-most on the team. Berg has a tremendous supporting cast that includes fellow forwards Rob Hellyer (28 goals and 63 assists for a team-leading 91 points), Ben McIntosh (24G and 40A for 64 points, third on the team) and Ryan Benesch (24G and 39A for 63 points, fourth on the team). Meanwhile, transition man Zach Currier’s 180 loose balls secured are third-most in the League and his 28 turnovers caused are tied for fourth. And with the ball on his stick, Currier’s 45 points this season are fifth on the squad as he’s scored 18 goals and registered 27 assists.
Expect the Seals to keep a close eye on Albany’s two leading scorers, forwards Tye Kurtz and Alex Simmons, who combined for 14 points in last Saturday night’s win. Kurtz led the way with a game-high six goals and three assists, while Simmons had a goal and four helpers. For the season, Simmons leads the team with 90 points on 34 goals and 56 assists while Kurtz is second with 82 points on 34 goals and 48 assists. Albany also gets solid offensive production from fellow forwards Ethan Walker (24G, 45A) and Dyson Williams (24G, 37A).
Seals-FireWolves Head-to-Head: Originally the New England Black Wolves, the franchise relocated to Albany prior to the 2021-22 season and re-branded as the FireWolves. The Seals have faced the franchise six times and are just 1-5 all-time. The Seals’ lone victory in the series was a 14-7 win over the FireWolves on Jan. 20, 2024, at the MVP Arena.
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