In their final home game of the season, the San Diego Growlers will be taking on the Seattle Cascades at Balboa Stadium on Saturday night. This is the 4th game in the series for these two teams, and San Diego holds a 2-1 lead heading into this game.
This is a rematch of the game these two teams played last week in Seattle, where the Growlers stormed out early in the first quarter to take a convincing lead that they would maintain all game. San Diego won 30-25 --their most impressive win over Seattle this season. The Cascades will be trying to even the score, which is easier said than done, as they haven’t won a game all year in San Diego.
For Seattle to have any chance, they’ll need big contributions from their All-stars. Mark Burton is a previous league MVP and a sharpshooter of note, he averages 6 assists a game and has a completion rate of 93.3% on his throws for the season. He’s paired with Henry Phan in the backfield, and will be looking for Brad Houser in the deep space, two players that have given San Diego trouble in the past.
The Growlers aren’t without stars of their own, though. Jonathan ‘Goose’ Helton is having the best statistical season of his career since winning league MVP in 2013. He’s already racked up 33 assists and 23 goals this year, despite having only played eight games so far. Even with such a strong season, Helton is being eclipsed by Growlers captain Travis Dunn. Dunn has distinguished himself as one of the best players in the league this year, averaging 5 assists and 3 goals a game, along with a 94.5% completion rate on 290 passes.
With a win on Saturday, the Growlers would clinch the West Division title and head into the playoffs with home-field advantage. They sit at 8-2 on the leaderboard, but the Los Angeles Aviators remain right on their heels at 7-3. With a loss, things could get a lot more testy for the Growlers, so this remains a crucial game for the team. The game kicks off at 6:30PM, and tickets can be bought online or at the gates.