Seals Get Big Performances from Leclaire, Berg, McIntosh and Dunkerley but Come up Just Short Friday Night in Toronto
NLL San Diego Seals

Seals Get Big Performances from Leclaire, Berg, McIntosh and Dunkerley but Come up Just Short Friday Night in Toronto

Published on May 1, 2026 under National Lacrosse League (NLL)
San Diego Seals News Release


San Diego Seals in action
San Diego Seals in action
(San Diego Seals)

The San Diego Seals went into Toronto's TD Coliseum on Friday night and went toe-to-toe with the Toronto Rock in Game One of their NLL Semifinal Playoff series and came up just short despite big performances from Tre Leclaire, Wes Berg and Ben McIntosh, and a heroic effort off the bench from goaltender Cam Dunkerley. Toronto takes Game One by a score of 14-12 and the Seals will return to Pechanga Arena on Sunday afternoon looking to even the series in front of their home fans.

Game Two of the series is set for Sunday afternoon at Pechanga Arena with faceoff at 3 p.m. PT. Tickets for that game are available at sealslax.com.

Just as you'd expect in the playoffs, it was a physical game on Friday night at the TD Coliseum.

It took the Seals a bit to get the engine fired up as Toronto got off to a fast start in jumping out to a 4-1 first quarter lead. Four different players scored for the Rock while the Seals lone goal was scored by Dylan Watson and it was a thing of beauty as he took a pass behind the net from Zach Currier and dunked it behind Rock goaltender Nick Rose to get the Seals on the board.

The Seals got their offense revved up in the second quarter and fought their way back, outscoring the Rock 5-2 to tie the game 6-6 at the half.

The second quarter was action-packed. Watson, who scored three goals in last Saturday night's quarterfinal win in Colorado, picked up right where he left off, scoring his second of the night 1:32 into the second. Just 1:12, later it was another hero from Saturday night's win over the Mammoth with Leclaire scoring the first of his two second-quarter goals. In between, Noah Armitage scored for the Seals with Leclaire's second coming just 48 seconds following.

There would be a pivotal moment in the game a short time later when Seals netminder Chris Origlieri was forced out of the contest due to a head injury. Origlieri who took a couple of shots in the helmet early in the contest left the game with 8:20 left in the half and he was replaced by Dunkerley. It seemed tenuous at first as Toronto's Chris Boushy scored 32 seconds after Dunkerley stepped in between the pipes, but Dunkerley settled down and held the Rock out of the net for the balance of the quarter. Meanwhile Seals lefty forward Connor Robinson scored with 4:40 remaining in the quarter for the visitors' final goal of the first half.

Special teams, which has been an Achilles heel for the Seals this season, reared its ugly head early in the third. The Seals opened the third quarter with a 3:52 man advantage after Toronto's Josh Jackson was handed a five-minute major penalty. That penalty was issued late in the second quarter for an illegal body check against Currier. Coming out of the locker room to start the second half, the Seals were unable to take advantage of the power play opportunity and the Rock made them pay, scoring a short-handed goal 1:34 into the quarter for a 7-6 lead and the only goal during that stretch.

The score remained 7-6 for nearly seven minutes until Toronto scored two goals just 10 seconds apart to surge out to their second three-goal lead of the night. Dan Craig scored the first for the home side after the Rock rebounced a long miss of a Dylan Watson shot and beat the Seals downfield to score on a three-on-two fast break. Then after winning the ensuing faceoff, Sam English scored an unassisted goal to give the Rock a 9-6 lead.

Just as they did six nights ago in Colorado, the Seals showed their resilience, clawing their way back in Toronto by scoring three unanswered goals over the final 5:09 of the quarter to tie the game once again, 9-9. Currier scored the first, weaving his way to the top of the crease and beating Rose to the glove side. A minute and 11 seconds later, Armitage found a cutting McIntosh again at the top of the crease and McIntosh drove one home to get the Seals within a goal, and then with 30 seconds left in the quarter, Berg fired a bullet from just inside the restraining line to a wide open Leclaire at the side of the net and Leclaire jammed it home to tie the game 9-9 heading into the fourth.

The fourth quarter started with the Seals and Rock trading power play goals 62 seconds apart. After Owen Hiltz scored his second of the night for the Rock on the man advantage, Robinson returned the favor and scored his second of the evening. Tied once again, the Seals finally got their first lead of the night with 10:34 left in the contest when McIntosh beat Rose through the five-hole to give the visitors an 11-10 lead. That number 62 would come up again however as 62 seconds after McIntosh gave the Seals the lead, Toronto's Challen Rogers snuck one by Dunkerley low to the glove side to re-tie the game at 11 apiece.

The Seals faced a daunting stretch midway through the fourth quarter when Trent DiCicco (holding) and Graydon Bradley (illegal cross checking) were called for penalties 13 seconds apart, but the Seals' defense and special teams came up with a huge stop and didn't allow a goal despite playing 5 v 3.

Still tied 11-11 with 4:05 left in the contest, the Seals had a golden opportunity to take the lead after Toronto's Lucas Hucal was called for holding, setting up a two-minute power play. Despite having several quality looks at the net, the Seals were unable to capitalize and Toronto would make them pay. With 1:33 left in the game, the Rock's Mark Matthews bounced one in from the top of the crease to put the home side up 12-11, and just 25 seconds later after winning the ensuing faceoff, Rogers scored to put the Rock up by two, 13-11.

Showing no quit, the Seals pulled Dunkerley for the man advantage and drew up a perfect play coming out of a timeout and 21 seconds after the Rock went up by two, Robinson fired a missile to McIntosh behind the cage and "Big Ben" wrapped one around the net delivering a beautiful backhand shot that got behind Rose as the Seals once again drew to within a goal, 13-12.

The Seals would regain possession off the ensuing faceoff looking to tie the game, but Rose came up with a big save and found a sprinting English downfield and his empty-net goal with 23 seconds left would put the Rock back up by two and seal the Seals Game One fate.

Leclaire and Berg both had seven points on the night. Leclaire's the result of three goals and four assists, while Berg tied his season high with seven assists in the contest. Currier had a big night in the transition game for the Seals as he collected 17 loose balls, just two shy of his season high. Currier also had two forced turnovers and a blocked shot.

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San Diego Seals in action
San Diego Seals in action
   



National Lacrosse League Stories from May 1, 2026


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