For the San Diego Seals, this was the true test. They woke up on Friday morning in 1st place in the National Lacrosse League's Western Division.
But right behind them were the defending champion Saskatchewan Rush, who are still considered the best team in the west. You have to take down the champs to be true title contenders.
Ladies and gentlemen, the Seals are for real.
San Diego won a tight match 13-12 at Pechanga Arena to prove the first-year expansion club is, indeed, one of the best lacrosse teams in North America. The Seals are 8-4 and have a full two game lead on the Rush.
Kyle Buchanan was fantastic. The veteran forward scored four goals and had four assists. But he was outdone by Garrett Billings, who scored just one goal but racked up a ridiculous nine assists.
But the captain, "Dangerous" Dan Dawson, is ageless. He scored two goals and had three assists to move past NLL legend (and Seals assistant coach) Josh Sanderson for 4th place on the league’s all-time points list.
The Seals have a 2-game lead in the West with six to play but the home stretch is not easy. Their next three matches are on the road, starting Saturday, March 30 in Calgary.
