By Mike Livingston
Phillylacrosse.com, Posted 1/24/26
SOUTH PHILADELPHIA – The Philadelphia Wings don’t have to search for answers. They already know the problem – they just can’t seem to fix it.
In the midst of Friday night’s 9-7 defeat to the San Diego Seals, the Wings drop to 1-5 on the 2025-26 season and sit dead last in the NLL standings. They also sit at the bottom three in the league in goals scored with just 58, six shy of the least productive offensive team, Toronto.
Now, as the midway point of the season looms, Philly knows how to fix their problems; it’s just a matter of whether they can.
“We need to score more goals,” said Wings head coach Ian Rubel. “Simple as it gets, you can’t play (one) half of lacrosse, and only scoring two goals is unacceptable.”
The Wings have scored in double digits three out of their six games, and all three have come as losses. Their lone win of the year came in an 8-7 victory over the Colorado Mammoth, who curiously sit at second in the NLL standings.
However, with the benchmark for goals being pushed ever towards the ceiling in the NLL it’s going to be put up or shut up time soon enough on the offensive end.
“I mean, I think we need to stick to the plan,” said Wings forward Brennan O’Neill (2 goals). “The game moves so fast sometimes you know a few bad possessions in a row, sometimes you start piling them up together.
“We have to put a stop to it sooner rather than later. Definitely not the best performance the last two weeks, but it’s a tough league, and we’re looking to fix it,t and we’re going to do our best to respond.”
The recent rut seems all the more frustrating for the Wings, not just because of the awareness of the issue offensively, but because of the immense offensive talent the team possesses.
Upper Dublin’s own Michael Sowers (2 goals Friday) headlines a group of talented forwards. In limited time on the carpet this season, Sowers has put up 11 points and seven goals.
A veteran presence held down by the duo of Joe Resetarits (2 goals) and Eric Fannell, who reached 100 career assists during Friday’s game with his assist on a Resetarits goal, is also huge for the Wings. Resetarits, who has made his name in the league as one of the most prolific offensive options, especially in the ladder stages of his career, is coming off his best season, in which he recorded 122 points with 41 goals.
“He is a legend,” said O’Neill when asked about Resetarits. “He really set the groundwork for us Americans. I just love the way he approaches the game. The second I stepped foot in training camp last year, I realized this guy is different; he’s had a great career and is still adding on.”
One of the few guys on the attack who has made a big impact this season has been O’Neill. The 23-year-old lefty from Bay Shore, N.Y., leads the team in points and goals while coming off a 58-point rookie season.
Additionally, the omnipresent Blaze Riorden has not produced to his usual clip.
There isn’t much to say; the Wings’ offense hasn’t been stagnant all season. The team produced at a decently high level earlier in the year but was still outpaced, and as of late, even amid the struggles, when paired with good defense and a calmer style of play, Philly has put together good periods of lacrosse.
Or, in Friday night’s case, a good half of lacrosse.
From the jump, it felt as though Philadelphia was in control, with a 2-0 advantage to open things up after the first period, and Nick Damude (44 saves) acting as a brick wall in goal, it looked as though the Wings may finally catch a break. Wesley Berg drew San Diego within 2-1 before halftime, but Philly dominated early in the second half and Sowers put the Wings ahead 5-1 early in the third period.
However, the Seals’ offense suddenly woke up, going on a 4-1 run in five minutes to close the third quarter to pull within 6-5.
“It’s a game of runs, and you can’t slip up for any amount of time,” said transition man Scott Dominey. “We need to be on our game, every second of every shift, and every second in the game. It came down to them having one good run in the third, which put them ahead.”
That heavy San Diego momentum carried into the start of the fourth quarter, where Zach Currier tied the game up at six apiece with 14:22 remaining in the final period.
O’Neill quickly matched to put Philly back in front, but the Seals had the momentum and quickly piled on three more goals to make the score 9-7 with still five minutes to play. However, a Chris Corbiel two-minute holding penalty stunted any aggression from the Wings’ offense and helped San Diego keep the ball in their offensive zone for the majority of the waning minutes before the horn sounded.
The loss places the Wings in a less-than-desirable position looking forward toward a slate of games that puts them on the road for over a month with trips to San Diego, Buffalo, to see the three-time defending champion Bandits, and Calgary before coming home to face the league’s top team this season in the Saskatchewan Rush.
“I think there is lots to be positive about,” said Rubel. “We held them to nine goals, which should put us in every game. We need to be a team, just like every team in this league, we need to get to 12 goals that get us in games and get us to wins. If we’re going to continue to be sub 10, we’re going to have a difficult time.”
San Diego Seals 9, Philadelphia Wings 7
PHI 2-2-2-1- 7
SD 0-1-4-4- 9
GOALSCORERS
PHI: Resetarits (2), Sowers (2), O’Neill (2), Fannell (1)
SD: McIntosh (3), Robinson (2), Berg (1), Currier (1), Watson (1), Leclaire (1)
GOALTENDERS
PHI: Damude (44/53)
SD: Origlieri (34/41)
