Desert Dogs Win in Overtime, 14-13 vs. Toronto Rock
April 6, 2025 - National Lacrosse League (NLL)
Las Vegas Desert Dogs News Release
LAS VEGAS -- The Las Vegas Desert Dogs (4-12) took on the Toronto Rock (5-10) in a Sunday matinee at that will go down as one of the most thrilling matchups in Lee's Family Forum history. A total of 27 goals were scored in the Desert Dogs' exhilarating 14-13 overtime victory.
Kyle Killen kicked things off for Vegas, going post-and-in to open the scoring and extend his goal streak to four straight games. But the Rock quickly responded, scoring three unanswered goals to take a 3-1 lead. Rookie sensation Adam Poitras then broke free down the left side of the turf and slipped the ball through the goalie's legs to cut the deficit to 3-2. Toronto answered again to make it 4-2, but the Dogs weren't backing down. Captain Connor Kirst went end-to-end shorthanded, floating a shot over the far shoulder of the Toronto netminder to bring it back to a one-goal game. The Rock led 4-3 after a high-paced opening quarter.
The second began with Donville's first goal of the night. He dashed in, faked a spin move, and ripped a shot into the back of the net to tie the game at four. Donville stayed hot, delivering a slick assist to Holden Cattoni, who buried a shot from the middle of the turf to give Vegas its first lead of the game at 5-4. However, a quick Toronto breakout tied things up at five.
Brandon Goodwin put the Dogs back on top after following up his own rebound to make it 6-5. The Rock answered again to knot the game, and from there, it turned into a thrilling back-and-forth battle. A perfectly executed tic-tac-toe passing play from Vegas ended with Sean Westley finishing into a wide-open net. But once again, the Rock had a response. With time winding down, the human highlight reel himself, Jack Hannah, soared over the crease and stuffed the ball home to give the Desert Dogs an 8-7 halftime lead.
Donville opened the third quarter with a shot that deflected off the Rock goalie and trickled into the net. Westley followed with his second of the game to extend Vegas' lead to three, but Toronto wouldn't go away. The Rock answered with three straight goals, tying the game once more in a quarter defined by resilience and intensity. The scoreboard read 10-10 heading into the fourth.
Toronto came out hot in the final frame, scoring two quick goals to go up 12-10. Poitras responded with a goal that was reviewed but upheld, cutting the lead to one. Unfortunately, Toronto restored their two-goal cushion with another tally to make it 13-11.
Vegas responded with a powerplay set piece that allowed Killen to sneak behind the defense and bury his second of the night. The momentum shift continued when Jackson Webster notched his first goal of the game, tying it at 13 and sending the Lee's Family Forum crowd into a frenzy.
With regulation not enough to separate the two teams, the game headed to overtime. The Rock had the advantage, beginning the extra frame on a four-minute powerplay. But it was Jack Hannah who played hero, ripping a shot from up top into the net for the game-winner. The Desert Dogs pulled off a 14-13 win in an absolute barnburner.
The Desert Dogs now hit the road, heading north to Ottawa for a Saturday showdown with the Black Bears on April 12 at 4 p.m. PST.
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