The Growlers took the first two matchups of the season as Los Angeles looks for revenge.

Despite an 0-2 record against the Growlers this season, head coach Jake Baumer is convinced the Aviators are a better team now than they were on May 4th, the last time San Diego and Los Angeles matched up. That statement will be put to the test tomorrow, as the Aviators have their third opportunity this season to face off against their rivals.

“It's just one of those schedule quirks. We don't want to play them three times in four games. I'm sure they don't want to play us three times in four times in four games,” Baumer said. 

Los Angeles, sitting with an 0-3 record, will travel down to their rivals after suffering two losses to the Growlers by a combined score of 44-28. The Aviators only won one of the eight quarters across the first weekend, outsourcing San Diego 5-4 in the fourth quarter of the first matchup.

It has been a flurry of slow starts for the Aviators, as they’ve been trailing by an average of 5.33 points at halftime. While LA’s average loss margin is eight goals, their second halves have been much cleaner. “I don't know if it's jitters or nerves or not having enough reps at the start of the game,” Baumer said. “Some of it is still a little bit the inexperience of what it looks like to completely warm up, go sit in the locker room for 10, 15 minutes and then come out and play again. That's unique and doesn't exist at any other level of ultimate. So that's something to get used to.”

Despite the slow starts, the Aviators showed great resilience in their most recent game against the Hustle, only allowing the No. 4 team in the most recent UFA power rankings to improve their margin by two across the final three quarters. “We have a lot of talented guys on the team. Everybody has the throws, everybody has the capability to make a play out there,” said rookie Max Combs. “You just have to have trust in your teammates. I think that's the key in keeping your composure, making the right plays and balling.”

The Growlers had a similarly strong performance against the Hustle, losing on a walk-off grab in the endzone as the fourth quarter ended. Khalif El-Salaam had an inspired performance in the loss, putting up a game-high five goals. El-Salaam is only one of multiple threats out of San Diego. Travis Dunn and Marcel Osborne lead the Growlers in that category, with Dunn putting up 12 total scores and Osborne recording 10 against the Aviators the first time around.

With already two rounds of familiarity against the San Diego stars, the Aviators are ready for their third bout.“It's setting another very similar defensive scheme and continuing to get better on offense,” Baumer said. “And if we come out with a clean start, there's no reason that that can be a close game start to finish.”

The LA players are more than aware of their slow starts and are coming up with game plans to try and eliminate those. Veteran Sean McDougall has been around the block and knows exactly what he needs to do to help his team get ready. “A large portion comes by leading by example,” McDougall said. “It's one of those where you step on the field, it's game time. It's time to be locked in, time to be prepared. And you know, with a team this young, actions speak a lot louder than words.”

The story of LA’s season has boiled down to its young players adapting to the professional game, with many of them making major strides. Combs is tied for the team lead in blocks, Dox Raskin is fourth in assists and Owen Shaff is third on the team in blocks. If the rookies can continue their upward trend, their youth would pair well with the likes of McDougall, James Franklin and Jonathan Lyle, who are the three team leaders in total scores. Lyle is a UFA rookie himself, but is on the older side at 29 and has high-level club experience with the Charlotte Storm.

“We've had limited practices together, so we're still trying to find that groove, that system, [the] strengths of our players,” Combs said. “So we're just trying to find those and try to put ourselves in the best position to win. … We're improving on the season, and it's bound to come.”

The Aviators will have a chance to drop one into the win column tomorrow, Friday the 16th, taking on the Growlers at 7 p.m. Fans can watch action at https://www.watchufa.tv/.