Winnipeg Sea Bears prepare for play-off clash against Calgary Surge

The playoffs have begun for the Winnipeg Sea Bears and the team is hoping for a fresh start after an inconsistent season.

Winnipeg narrowly secured the final playoff spot in the West with a 9-11 record.

It was a season that featured both big losing and winning streaks, and the revelation of Teddy Allen, the league’s 2023 MVP.

Winnipeg playoff winner Jarred Ogungbemi-Jackson said the playoffs are already secured and whatever happened in the regular season doesn’t matter anymore.

“You just have to win a game. If you win a game, you can stay alive and move on,” he said.

The challenge for them is to play away against the Calgary Surge. Winnipeg has only one away win this season, but Ogungbemi-Jackson knows the team can come together when it needs to most.

“I feel that despite all the adversity this year, we have shown a lot of fighting spirit, with injuries, different line-ups and changes in the team. It is a team that has managed to come back from a big lead.”

Head coach Mike Taylor said he’s looking forward to the challenge of the playoffs and believes the Sea Bears have all the potential in the world to get the job done.

“We’ve shown we can beat all these teams. It’s about putting it together here on the road with the challenge of being the Calgary version of our team,” Taylor said.

Taylor said the team was able to play several aspects of their game well throughout the season, but it didn’t all work out at once.

He hopes they can get everything in order in the play-offs.

“They’re very coachable. They want to do it and it’s about getting on the floor and putting it all together. I think it’s just a matter of time.”

Calgary and Winnipeg played each other twice in the past week and they know each other’s games well.

Sea Bears leading scorer Justin Wright-Foreman said he knows Calgary is a good team, but his main focus is on his team’s play.

“I think whoever goes into the game and puts pressure on the defense, who can contest the ball, who can get those loose balls and who can get in transition, is going to win the game,” Wright-Foreman said.

This will be his first appearance in the playoffs after missing them last year as a member of the Saskatchewan Rattlers.

He said he is ready to get on the field and perform.

“The juices are definitely flowing,” he said. “I’m just trying to stay balanced and just be in the middle. I don’t want to be too high, too low… I just want to stay balanced and just play the best I can.”

The Sea Bears and Surge will face off on August 2 at 8:30 p.m. in Calgary.