Shawn Slaght, All Lacrosse All The Time – A Division of the Edge of Philly Sports Network
The San Diego Seals were able to clinch first place in the West Division in a 14-4 drubbing of the Las Vegas Desert Dogs on Saturday night at Pechanga Arena.
The win gives San Diego a record of 13-4 heading into the final week of the season. The second-place Calgary Roughnecks have already finished off their regular season schedule with a record of 13-5 meaning the Seals will clinch first place.
Who San Diego will face in the first round of the playoffs will be decided in the final week of games. The Seals face the 9-8 Colorado Mammoth. If Colorado wins, San Diego faces Panther City in the first round. If the Seals win, they will face Colorado again in the post-season.
Meanwhile, the Desert Dogs have a record of 5-12 and face the Saskatchewan Rush, another team out of the playoffs, to finish off the season.
Low-Scoring First Quarter
San Diego got on the board first only 40 seconds into the game. Curtis Dickson put one by Desert Dogs’ goaltender Joel Watson to make it 1-0.
Connor Kirst tied it up for Las Vegas with 10:55 on the clock on an individual effort. However, with Jackson Suboch in the box for holding, Dane Dobbie scored a power-play marker at 5:55 to make it 2-1 in favour of the Seals.
Seals Pull Away in the Second
Sam Firth opened the second quarter scoring 2:56 into the frame as the Desert Dogs were able to tie it 2-2. After that, it was all San Diego.
The Seals finished off the quarter with a four-goal run. Mac O’Keefe started the run 4:23 into the second followed by Wes Berg just under a minute later.
Dobbie would make it 5-2 and O’Keefe added a power play marker with 1:08 on the clock to put the Seals up 6-2 at the half.
San Diego Completes Nine-Goal Run
Between the second and third quarters, the Seals would complete a nine-goal run and put the game completely out of reach for the Desert Dogs.
The rough stuff also began in the third quarter. Suboch would take a five-minute cross-checking call at 9:57 as well as a game misconduct. That would be followed by Tre Leclaire and Tor Reinholdt dropping the gloves at 4:15 after Griffin Hall took a spearing call for Las Vegas. Graydon Bradley was also assessed a game misconduct on the play.
Dobbie opened the scoring in the third only 23 seconds into the frame. Danny Logan followed that up 13 seconds later to make it 8-2. Also getting goals were Austin Staats with a pair and Berg.
Jack Hannah got Las Vegas back on the board with 1:36 on the clock on the power play. Any momentum for the Desert Dogs was short-lived. Patrick Shoemay scored for San Diego on a penalty shot with 19 seconds left on the clock to give the Seals a 12-3 heading into the fourth quarter.
Seals Claim The Top Spot
Jon Phillips opened the four-quarter scoring 26 seconds into the frame on the power play to get Vegas within eight, but that’s all she wrote for the Desert Dogs’ offence.
Staats and Jake Govett rounded out the scoring for the Seals as they cruised to a 14-4 win to clinch first place in the West.
Top Scorers
San Diego
Dane Dobbie, 3g 4a
Wes Berg, 2g 5a
Curtis Dickson, 1g 5a
Las Vegas
Rob Hellyer, 3a
Jon Phillips, 1g
Sam Firth, 1g
Jack Hannah, 1g
Connor Kirst, 1g
Jacob Ruest, 1a
Jame Barclay, 1a
Don’t forget to check us out every Sunday night at 9pm (ET)
Shawn Slaght has been a sports reporter across the Canadian prairies for over 10 years and has experience covering everything from junior hockey to World Cup skiing to all levels of lacrosse. He is the Saskatchewan correspondent for All Lacrosse All The Time.
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