San Diego Seals Set to Host the Vancouver Warriors

Nearly three weeks removed for their last bout with the Vancouver Warriors, the San Diego Seals will host Mitch Jones, Aaron Bold & Co. at Pechanga Arena San Diego in a much-anticipated rematch on Friday, February 8 at 7:00 p.m. PT.

San Diego hasn’t played a regular season game since their 11-10 win over Vancouver at Rodgers Arena on January 19. Seals veterans Garrett Billings and Dan Dawson led the team to the victory, combining for nine points (3G, 6A) in the affair. The win extended San Diego’s ongoing win streak to three.

Vancouver’s Jones, a seven-year NLL veteran and first-year Warrior, was a one-man wrecking crew despite the losing effort in January, logging four goals and three assists against the Seals’ defense and standout goalie, Scigliano. Warriors forwards Jordan McBride and Logan Schuss, who are currently tied for second on the team in goals with 12, combined for six points in the contest, as well.

Though Jones got the best of him four times, Scigliano still recorded 43 saves against Vancouver last month, improving his season saves per game average to a current NLL-high 43.2. He also ranks His .797 goals against average also ranks second in the NLL behind Colorado Mammoth goalie Steve Fryer.

Also finding himself atop NLL stat sheets, Seals rookie phenom Austin Staats will enter Friday’s matchup with the Warriors in a three-way tie for the NLL lead in goals per game (3.0) with Georgia Swarm’s Lyle Thompson and Saskatchewan Rush’ Ben McIntosh. Staats also leads the team in total points (31) and points per game (5.2).

Defensively, San Diego’s Tor Reinholdt and Cameron Holding both rank inside the top-10 in forced turnovers per game at 1.67 apiece. And 37-year-old Brodie Merrill, a standout transition player for the Seals, falls closely behind with his 1.50 forced turnover per game average.

Pechanga Arena and its frequents have been great to the Seals thus far, as the NLL expansion team is a perfect 2-0 at home in its inaugural season. Improving to 3-0 at home and extending the win streak to four will require a win from the Seals on Friday.