SAN DIEGO — Have you ever had one of those days where nothing went according to plan?  Yeah that is how the Seals home opener for their second season went against Toronto on Saturday, Dec. 14th at Pechanga Arena San Diego.

The Toronto Rock (1-1) bounced back from a sloppy season opener last week as they dropped a game to New England 12-8 with a 13-6 drubbing of the San Diego Seals (0-2).

The Seals debuted many new faces for the 2019-20 season, the problem is that the new Seals don’t have the coheision that the original Seals had early in the season.  Gone is Dan Dawson, the team’s leading scorer from last season.  Yet to return to action is the rookie phenom from last year Austin Staats (ACL, or as the team is referring to it as a “lower body injury”).  To say that the 2019-20 Seals are lacking firepower, would be an understatement.

With all of that, the one thing that many thought would keep the team afloat until Staats’ return would be Frank Scigliano the Seals goaltender.  At least that what everyone was thinking.  For the night, Scigliano finished with a stat line of 15 minutes played, 10 shots against, 4 goals allowed.

The player of the game was the Toronto Rock’s Nick Rose.  This was is no-brainer as he would hold the Seals scoreless for the first 18:13 of the game.  Joining Rose in the discussion for player of the game would be also from Toronto, Tom Screiber (3g, 2a) and “Dangerous” Dan Dawson (3g, 1a).

Schreiber would get the scoring opened in the third minute as he scored short-handed off a Zach Manns feed.  Still in the fist quarter, Johnny Powless, Josh Jubenville and Dawson would all score in that frame.  Dawson’s goal would come with the man-advantage.

Dawson would score again making it two in a row for him.  Wes Berg (an offseason signing from Calgary) scored his third goal of the season at the 3:13 mark to finally get San Diego on the board.  Rob Hellyer shot from a very shallow angle and the ball would go in off back-up goalie Nick Demude.  The ruling on the field was that it did not go in, but since it was a TV timeout the Toronto coaching staff took the opportunity to throw the challenge flag.  The review took the entire TV timeout but was eventually overturned and the goal was allowed.

Berg scored the second Seals goal just 26 seconds later to make it 6-2.  The Seals might have been ok with calling it right there as they would in tennis.  However, in lacrosse, they play until 60 minutes have been played.

The Seals would not score again until 4:29 into the third quarter (nearly 10 minutes of game play between goals).

The only quarter were the Seals outscored the Rock was the third quarter.  Connor Fields scored two of his goals (fourth and fifth of the season) and Berg would get his hat trick goal to get the Seals as close as they would get on the night, 9-5.

San Diego has until Dec. 27 to figure out what is wrong with the offense.  The defending champions Calgary Roughnecks come to San Diego that night.  Get your tickets at Ticket Monster.

NOTES: With Dan Dawson’s goal in the second quarter, he moved into the All-Time lead for most goals in the history of the NLL…Jubenville’s goal in the first quarter was his first career goal…The six goals are tied for the second fewest in team history.  Last year in their second game they only scored five goals against the eventual NLL Champion Calgary…Berg has 11 points (6g, 5a) in the first two games of the season, that ranks him in the NLL’s top 15 point getters…Berg has three of the Seals’ five powerplay goals this season. The three PPGs give him the league lead.

1st Quarter Recap: Shots: TOR — 9, SD — 13.
3:17 — Schreiber (1), A: Manns (3) 1-0 TOR (SH)
5:47 — Poweless (3). Unassisted 2-0 TOR
6:41 — Jubenville (1). A: Rogers (2), Brock (1) 3-0 TOR
11:26 — Dawson (3). A: Poweless (2), Hellyer (1) 4-0 TOR (PP)

2nd Quarter Recap: Shots: TOR — (12/21), SD — (18/31).
1:10 — Dawson (4, 2nd).  A: Hellyer (2). 5-0 TOR
3:13 — Berg (3). A: Fields (3), Buchanan (3) 5-1 TOR (PP)
5:28 — Hellyer (2). 6-1 TOR <- Ruled no goal, Challenged, overturned.
5:54 — Berg (4, 2nd). A: Buchanan (3). 6-2 TOR
7:58 — D. Craig (2). A: Powless (3), Schreiber (4). 7-2 TOR
14:18 — C. Rogers (2). A: Brock (2). 8-2 TOR

3rd Quarter Recap: Shorts: TOR — (10/31), SD — (14/45).
0:36 — Schreiber (2, 2nd). A: Hellyer (3), D. Craig (2). 9-2 TOR
4:29 — Fields (2) A: Berg (5), Buchanan (4) 9-3 TOR
7:01 — Fields (3, 2nd) A: Merrill (1), Epple (1). 9-4 TOR
8:47 — Berg (5, 3rd). A: Greer (4), Merrill (2). 9-5 TOR

4th Quarter Recap: Shorts: TOR — (13/43), SD — (13/58).
2:16 — Dawson (5, 3rd). A: D. Craig (3), Slade (1). 10-5 TOR
8:01 — Berg (6, 4th). Unassisted. 10-6 TOR (PP)
12:16 — Schreiber (3, 3rd).  A: Hellyer (4), D. Craig (3). 11-6 TOR
13:15 — Manns (1). Unassisted 12-6 TOR
14:05 — Hellyer (2). Unassisted 13-6 TOR

Power Play: TOR — 1-3, SD 2-6.
San Diego Sports Domination Player of the Game: Rose (52sv, 6ga).

 

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