The Vancouver Warriors (5-6) are headed to sunny San Diego this week for a rematch against the Seals (5-6).
Coming off a bye week, the Warriors took time to rest, recover, and give back to the community. Players spent their weekend visiting children at Sunny Hill Health Centre and helping grow the game of lacrosse with school visits.
Before the break, the Warriors faced the red-hot Saskatchewan Rush (9-3), falling 10-7. They kept it close through two quarters, trailing by one at halftime, but the Rush broke the game open in the third, scoring four unanswered goals.
Despite the loss, Warriors’ General Manager and Head Coach Curt Malawsky was pleased with his team’s defence, goaltending, and faceoff performance. Defenceman Ryan Dilks earned praise for his efforts; blocking three shots, forcing five turnovers, and scooping up 11 loose balls.
Other highlights included going four-for-six on the penalty kill and drawing back-to-back penalty shots, which resulted in a goal from Keegan Bal.
That goal marked a milestone for Bal, as he reached the 200-goal mark in his career.
The Seals are also coming off a bye week but spent the previous two games battling the league-leading Bandits (9-1). In mid-February, San Diego handed Buffalo their only loss of the season, edging them out 14-13.
A week later, the teams met again in another matchup where the Seals came up short by a single goal. That rematch was neck and neck, with power play opportunities proving to be the difference in a Bandits’ win.
The Seals saw standout performances from Tre Leclaire (4G, 1A), Dylan Watson (3G, 3A), Kyle Jackson (1G, 4A), Wesley Berg (2G, 4A), and Rob Hellyer (4A). In net, Christopher Origlieri turned aside 41 shots, while defenceman Danny Logan picked up 10 loose balls.
The Warriors and the Seals met for the first time this season on January 10, and it was one for the books. The Warriors topped the Seals 11-9 in an invigorating game where the Warriors proved their resilience, scoring eight goals in the final quarter to secure the win. Keegan Bal netted six of those goals—all in the final frame—a feat only achieved by three other players in league history.
Historically, the Seals have had an edge over the Warriors, winning eight of the last 12 matchups. However, Bal has been the top point leader across both teams, with 53 points (17G, 36A) in just nine games played.
With the looming trade deadline, the Seals have made some moves to shake up their roster before March 10. They acquired forward Dylan Watson in a trade with the Las Vegas Desert Dogs, sending defenceman Drew Belgrave and a 2027 second-round pick in return. San Diego also dealt forward Kyle Jackson to Albany in exchange for a pair of draft picks.
The Warriors have made one move so far, trading Brad McCulley to the Rochester Knighthawks in exchange for their sixth-round selection in the 2026 Entry Draft and a third-round selection in the 2027 Entry Draft.
Eight B.C.-born players are listed on the Seals roster this season, including defencemen Graydon Bradley of Vernon, Cameron Lumb of Victoria, Robbie Turpin of Coquitlam, and Patrick Shoemay of Surrey. On offence is Wesley Berg, Adam Noakes, and Ben McIntosh all from Coquitlam. Forward Tre Leclaire of Surrey is expected to play in Friday’s game following a career high game (4G, 1A) against the Bandits in Week 13.
Friday’s game, and every game here on out, carries major playoff implications. With seven games left on the Warriors’ schedule, including four at home, each matchup moving forward will be intense, with most teams still battling for a spot in playoffs.
To catch the thrilling matchup on Friday at 7:30 p.m. PST, tune in to NLL+ and TSN+.
