The San Diego Seals overcame a rough regular-season run to make the National Lacrosse League playoffs.

And they’re still alive.

The Seals pulled out a thrilling 13-12 overtime victory at Colorado last week to advance to the NLL postseason’s second round, where they’ll face the Toronto Rock at 4:30 p.m. Friday in Canada.

Game 2 of the best-of-three series is Sunday at Pechanga Arena.

“I guess you could say we built some callouses,” Seals forward Zach Currier said. “We went through some tough losses, but that just made the guys come together. We are playing our best lacrosse right now, when it matters. Sometimes in sports, you have to get knocked down to get back up. We are figuring that out.”

The Seals went 8-10 during the regular season, losing five games by a total of eight goals. Luck was not on San Diego’s side. They advanced with a win over Colorado with some late-game magic from Tre Leclaire, who scored the game-winner.

“This team has belief,” said Currier, who tallied 35 goals and 22 assists this season. “When it gets rough, we have a way of coming together. It’s a fun group.”

Trevor Baptiste, the NLL’s best faceoff winner, believes his team is hitting its stride at the right time.

“We have a bunch of grinders,” said Baptiste, who led the NLL in face-off wins for the sixth consecutive season. “If we get hot, I like our chances. We went through a rough stretch but got a groove going. I like this team and our potential.”

Mojo makes volleyball postseason

The San Diego Mojo won 13 of their last 19 matches heading into Thursday night’s late match against the Columbus Fury at Viejas Arena, securing a spot in the four-team Major League Volleyball championship tournament that starts next week.

The Mojo will play either the Dallas Pulse or Indy Ignite in the May 7 semifinals, with the winner advancing.

This season will be it for the Mojo, however. The club announced on Wednesday that it will cease operations after this season. Owner Gary Jacobs said he wanted to “go dark” for the 2027 season, returning into 2028, but that MLV opted to go in a different direction.

MLV issued a statement Thursday saying it was “grateful” for Jacobs’ stewardship, saying the owner “stepped in during a critical period for the team.”

“San Diego remains one of the most vibrant volleyball communities in the country, and we believe strongly in its long-term potential at the professional level,” MLV said in a statement. “We are actively exploring strategies for the market, building on the momentum established by the Mojo.

Strike Force update

The San Diego Strike Force (4-1) of the Indoor Football League will take on the Tulsa Oilers on Saturday, with kickoff set for 5 p.m. The Strike Force are coming off a 42-25 home win over the Tucson Sugar Skulls. Nate Davis threw for 182 yards and two touchdowns and Dallas Daniels had six catches for 91 yards and a score. San Diego’s defense held the Sugar Skulls to just 87 yards of total offense and just 23 yards passing. 

U-T sports editor Ryan Finley contributed to this story.