BUFFALO – December 7, 2019) – The San Diego Seals dropped the season opener, 13-10, to the Buffalo Bandits in a gritty nail-biter that came down to the final five minutes of the game.

“I thought the effort was there for us,” said general manager and head coach Patrick Merrill. “We battled pretty hard for four quarters. They had a really good performance out of their goaltender, Matt Vinc, and we had a pretty hard time getting shots through. It stings a little bit because we thought that it was ours for the taking. We made some errors that were self-inflicted wounds, but there’s certainly a lot that we can take from to learn for next week.”

San Diego’s offense clicked early when Buffalo native Connor Fields netted the first goal of the season in his hometown just five minutes into the game. Newcomers Wesley Berg, Jeremy Noble and Zack Greer proved why Patrick Merrill made the offseason acquisitions, each netting two goals in the season opener. Berg’s six points, including his 100^thcareer goal, led the Seals offense followed by a five-point effort from Greer.

“They’re all really good players and we’re happy to have them,” continued Merrill. “They produced and battled really, really hard for 60 minutes. It would have been nice to get them their first win here in Buffalo, but I think our fans next week are really going to enjoy watching them play.”

Goaltender Frank Scigliano stopped 41 shots on the night, while the Seals penalty kill held the Bandits to just one power play goal. Rookie Matt Sykes registered his first professional point and defenseman Cam Holding scooped up a team-high 10 loose balls.

The Seals will play their home opener at Pechanga Arena next Saturday, December 14 at 7:00 PM against the Toronto Rock. Reserve your seats today at SealsLax.com.

About San Diego Seals: The San Diego Seals are a team in the 33-year-old National Lacrosse League (NLL), the world’s only professional box lacrosse league. The league ranks third in average attendance for professional indoor sports worldwide, behind the NBA and NHL. The Seals play the majority of their home games at Pechanga Arena San Diego, the city’s leading destination for sporting events, family shows and live entertainment. For more information, visit SealsLax.com or follow the Seals on social media.

About the National Lacrosse League: The National Lacrosse League (NLL) is the world’s premier professional lacrosse league. Founded in 1986, the NLL ranks third in average attendance for pro indoor sports worldwide, behind only the NHL and NBA. The League is comprised of 13 franchises across the United States and Canada: Buffalo Bandits, Calgary Roughnecks, Colorado Mammoth, Georgia Swarm, Halifax Thunderbirds, New England Black Wolves, New York Riptide, Philadelphia Wings, Rochester Knighthawks, San Diego Seals, Saskatchewan Rush, Toronto Rock, and Vancouver Warriors. For more information, visit NLL.com and find the NLL on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.