The San Diego Seals reached the .500 mark for the first time this season with a 19-6 victory over the Rochester Knighthawks. A very loud and enthusiastic crowd of 6,292 at Pechanga Arena San Diego watched and cheered on as shot after shot found the net for the Seals.
San Diego rifled off 70 shots in the game while the Seals defense held the Knighthawks to only 35 shots in 60 minutes. Goaltending duo Frank Scigliano and Nick Damude combined for 29 saves on 35 shots while only allowing six goals.
The Knighthawks drew first blood, with former Seal in Turner Evans scoring 2:23 into the game to put the Knighthawks up 1-0. It was short lived as Zack Greer, Austin Staats and Casey Jackson scored three goals in just under two minutes that propelled San Diego to a 3-1 lead.
It started getting physical in the first quarter as Cam Holding (Seals) and Paul Dawson (Knighthawks) were called for dead ball fouls.
Curtis Knight scored for the Knighthawks next just past the halfway point of the opening frame to make it 3-2. In quick response, Jackson and Staats sent two goals into the net for a 5-2 San Diego lead.
After a holding call on a breakaway on Drew Belgrave, Knight would be rewarded with a penalty shot, but goaltender Scigliano did not bite on any of the fakes making the stop to keep the Seals’ three-goal lead in the first quarter. The crowd only got louder at that point and it was electric on the home field.
After another penalty, the Knighthawks converted a Power Play to chip into the lead 5-3. San Diego Seals Wes Berg and Jeremy Noble answered back with goals to make the lead to 7-3 San Diego. Knight put his second goal of the game into the back of the net making the score 7-4. Rookie Connor Fields replied two minutes later, followed up 17 seconds later by Kyle Buchanan as he netted his first and then put another shot in goal one minute after, bringing the Seals up 10-4. The Knighthawks replied to cut the lead at 10-5 but it was becoming clear the outcome as Casey Jackson would put a exclamation point on the half with an 11-5 San Diego lead.
NLL Veteran shooter Zac Greer added a pair of goals to finish his hat trick to start the third quarter bringing the lead to 13-5. Rochester Rylan Rees would bring the score to 13-6 for the final Knighthawks goal. Brodie Merrill got a call for slashing and entered the penalty box.
A minute later, Tyler Biles and Garrett McIntosh dropped gloves and squared off for a bit of extracurricular activity, by punching each other in the face, and when it was over they both showed sportsmanship by patting each other on the back.
2019 draft-pick rookie Matt Sykes got his first career NLL goal in the game. Jackson and Fields were one upping each other on the next few goals to give the Seals a 16-6 lead after three.
Frank Scigliano, who had 29 saves, was relieved by rookie netminder “Lightsout” Nick Damude in the fourth with four saves. Wes Berg finished the scoring for the night for a 19-6 Seals victory.
The Seals wore Star Wars themed uniforms to celebrate last year’s NLL “Wookie” of the year Austin Staats, auctioning the uniforms off for Rady’s Children's Hospital.
The Seals will head to Vancouver against the Warriors Mar. 13 for a 7:30 p.m. PT. Their next home match will come Mar. 20 at 7 p.m. PT.