June 13, 2026
After a brutal overtime loss to the undefeated Austin Sol one week before, the San Diego Growlers faced a road test versus the Colorado Apex in a pivotal cross-divisional matchup. With both teams currently in fourth place and on the outside looking into the playoff picture, this game had huge implications for the rest of the season.
Colorado received the opening pull and held downwind, and the Growlers answered back with a Brandon Van Deusen deep shot to Jonathan Lyle, who was making his 2026 debut. After 3 consecutive holds, the Apex punched in their first break opportunity of the game to take a 4-2 lead. San Diego’s Max Gibson proceeded to sky a couple defenders and dished to Bryce Lozinski for the offensive hold. Colorado scored, then earned another break with a block and a quick goal, 6-3. The Growlers struggled with some early turnovers and managed just one more goal before the quarter ended, while the Apex put in another break for the 8-4 lead.
San Diego began the second quarter with a KJ Koo goal, and Colorado doubled down with a hold and a break after a Growlers throwaway, 10-5. Peter Lenz answered with a perfect forehand throw upwind to Max Combs for the much needed hold, the Apex scored, then Combs put a perfect backhand to Koo for the goal. On the next point, Michael Tran’s block initiated a string of turnovers from each team, but eventually Gibson provided a block and the bookend goal. San Diego took advantage of another Colorado turnover by calling a timeout and getting an assist from Travis Dunn to Koo, 11-9. The Apex derailed some of the momentum gained by holding on offense and producing a break score before halftime, 13-9.
The Apex had a rocky start to the second half, as Tran rose up to block an errant throw, and Gibson unleashed a full field backhand to Combs for the break score. Immediately following, Gibson intercepted a floaty upwind huck, and Reggie Sung threw to Stefan Samu for a goal after the disc was deflected, 13-11. San Diego had a chance for a third break in a row, but Colorado eventually held on for the goal. The teams proceeded to trade several downwind holds with relative ease, and Koo was the recipient of a couple of goals in the sequence. After an Apex throwaway, the Growlers called timeout which led to a break score from Dunn to Van Deusen to pull within one, 17-16. Both teams traded upwind holds, with two great grabs in traffic from Dunn and Koo. Stefan Samu prevented an end of quarter Apex score with an interception as the Growlers scored 9 in the quarter, but still trailed 19-18.
In the fourth quarter, Miller connected with Lyle for an important downwind hold to tie the game, but Colorado stormed right back to take the lead. The next possession burned 3:43 off the clock, included 4 turnovers, an Apex timeout, and eventually a Gibson assist to Sung who made a great leaping grab for the goal, 20-20. In another marathon point, the Growlers had three golden chances to score an upwind break, but failed to execute on each attempt, and the Apex converted their downwind hold with just 1:57 remaining. Undeterred, San Diego calmly collected their downwind hold with a Lyle flick to Koo, 21-21. After marching halfway down the field, Colorado took a shot to the corner of the end zone with 39 second left, but the receiver couldn’t hold onto the disc while trying to stay inbounds. Going upwind now, Lozinski picked up the disc, and after a few completions, Lyle made a great diving grab to save the possession. A few throws later with time winding down, Colin Sunde served up an outside-in backhand to Gibson, who stretched one toe barely inside the goal line for the go-ahead break with 3 seconds left, 22-21! The Growlers pulled downwind and stopped any potential game tying heroics from the Apex, and celebrated a gritty come from behind victory that kept their playoff hopes alive.
The Growlers were led by Max Gibson (3 assists, 3 goals, 4 blocks) with a phenomenal +9 performance, and KJ Koo (2 assists, 6 goals) with a clutch +6 effort. Both Travis Dunn (4 assists, 1 goal, 1 block) and Brandon Van Deusen (2 assists, 2 goals, 1 block) contributed +4 games as well. Next up, San Diego will hit the road again for a Texas two-step vs the Austin Sol and Houston Havoc on June 19-20.
