Despite all their regular season heroics, the Growlers came just shy of postseason glory, losing to the Dallas Roughnecks in the AUDL Championship semifinals. It all came down to experience in the game, as the Growlers made a few uncharacteristic errors due to nerves and Dallas capitalized on those few mistakes. The 23-18 final score doesn’t reflect how close the game was right up until the fourth quarter, but Dallas did close the game out solidly enough that San Diego simply couldn’t recover.
From the first point, it was clear that Dallas understood the stakes. A full-extension layout block from one of Dallas’ defenders set the tone for their physically assertive defense, which rocked San Diego onto their heels. Dallas’ defense would prove to be a problem for San Diego all game, as the Growlers offensive unit struggled with calibrating to the increased pressure and the gusty wind. By the end of the 1st quarter, Dallas already held a 7-4 lead, and San Diego looked frustrated and scattered.
They’d rally in the second, thanks to players like Travis Dunn and Tim Okita stepping up their game. The defensive style that Dallas had employed to fluster San Diego --which included smothering downfield pressure and double-teaming the thrower-- proved to be less effective once San Diego learned to adjust. On the defensive end, San Diego started to make Dallas’ throwers sweat. Steven Milardovich was particularly menacing, effectively shutting down his mark while also playing smart poach defense when given the chance. By half, San Diego was back in the game, trailing by only one point.
Whatever resurgence San Diego had incurred proved to be short-lived. The intermission completely stole their momentum, and allowed Dallas to reset and take a longer look at their defense, making the necessary changes to stifle the Growlers. Dallas’ Jay Froude and Kai Marshall spearheaded the Roughnecks defensive effort, with the latter racking up an astonishing five blocks by the end of the game. Froude and Dunn butted heads with each other all game, and truly put on a display of what two MVP-caliber talents looked like when facing off with everything on the line. Dunn held his own, with 5 assists and 3 goals, but it was Froude’s 3 blocks that swung momentum in Dallas’ favor. The third quarter ended with a score of 19-15, and Dallas’ offense went largely unchallenged during this time.
San Diego was definitely feeling the pressure in the fourth, and it led to a few too many rushed shots. The patient, calculated offense that the Growlers cut their teeth on all season started to fray a bit, and many of the teams veterans tried to do too much. San Diego would earn two breaks early, including a monstrous block by Trevor Purdy on a hammer attempt, but it never closed the margin enough to make Dallas sweat. Dallas’ young defenders earned a pair of breaks a few points later, and that all but closed out the game.
The loss may sting, but this was still a remarkable season for the Growlers. The team had the third best regular season in the nation, clinched the West division, and made their first championship weekend as a program. It was a long time coming for a young roster that built themselves into a title contender, and a promise of better things to come. It remains to be seen what happens this offseason, but it’s been a great season for San Diego, both as a team and as fans.
