Buffalo Or Bust - Seals & Bandits Set for NLL Quarterfinals

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NLL San Diego Seals

Buffalo Or Bust - Seals & Bandits Set for NLL Quarterfinals

April 22, 2025 - National Lacrosse League (NLL)
San Diego Seals News Release


The wait is over and the Seals now know their opponent in the single-game win-or-go-home NLL Quarterfinal Playoffs and the opponent is none other than the reigning NLL Champion Buffalo Bandits. The game is set for this Friday night, April 25, with faceoff from the KeyBank Center set for 4:30 p.m. PT.

Buffalo finished the 2024-25 regular season with a mark of 13-5 and enters the playoffs as the No. 1 seed. They started the year 7-0 but went just 6-5 over their last 11 games and they lost three of their last five to close out the regular season. They were 6-3 this season at home at the KeyBank Center. The Seals meanwhile went 9-9 during the regular season and come in as the No. 8 seed, a spot they earned with a thrilling 11-10 win over Albany at Pechanga Arena last Friday night in the regular-season finale for both teams.

It will be the first-ever postseason meeting between the Seals and Bandits and the third time the teams will have met this season. The teams split a pair of regular-season meetings with each team winning on the other's home floor. The Seals beat the Bandits 14-13 in overtime at the KeyBank Center on Feb. 15 and a week later, the Bandits returned the favor, downing the Seals 13-12 at Pechanga Arena. Buffalo is 2-1 against the Seals in Buffalo and the Bandits are 5-1 all-time against the Seals.

Friday night's contest is a matchup between two high-powered offenses. Buffalo led the NLL with 242 goals during the regular season while the Seals were fifth with 215. Pacing the Seals was forward and team captain Wes Berg, whose 49 goals tied for second in the League. Berg, who scored four last Friday night, including the game-winner that put the Seals into the playoffs, has 20 goals in the team's last six games.

Berg dished out 39 assists to finish the season with 88 total points, second-most on the team behind Rob Hellyer, who tallied 93 on 29 goals and 64 assists. The Seals also got solid production out of fellow forwards Ryan Benesch (27G and 60A for 67 points, third on the team) and Ben McIntosh (24G and 42A for 66 points, fourth on the team). Meanwhile, transition man Zach Currier scooped up the League's third-most loose balls this season (193) while forcing the third-most turnovers (32). And with the ball on his lacrosse stick, Currier's 47 points were fifth on the squad on 18 goals and 29 assists.

On the opposite bench, Buffalo's high-octane offense features five 50-point scorers, led by forwards Dhane Smith and Josh Byrne. Byrne led the Bandits with 135 points on 32 goals and 103 assists while Byrne led the team with 44 goals to go along with 90 assists as his 134 points were just one behind Smith. Kyle Buchanan (34G, 21A, 55 points), Ian MacKay (37G, 17A, 54 points) and Chase Fraser (26G, 24A, 50 points) round out the Bandits' top scorers.

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