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NLL Las Vegas Desert Dogs

Game Preview December 14

December 18, 2024 - National Lacrosse League (NLL)
Las Vegas Desert Dogs News Release


The Las Vegas Desert Dogs (0-3) hope to bite back against the Philadelphia Wings (1-1) at the PENTA Field at Lee's Family Forum this Friday, Dec. 20 at 7:30 pm PST. Their second battle in less than a week with the Wings finding their first win of the season in a 19 - 10 win.

Playing the same team twice comes with some perks, as the Desert Dogs will have a deeper understanding of how the Wings set up offensively, defensively and on special teams.

The Pack needs to get the ball into the back of the net, struggling to do so on Saturday night. They sent 57 shots at the net but only scoring 10 prevented them from winning. The Dogs will rely on their usual stars to score: Jack Hannah (nine goals) and Casey Jackson (six goals), but the depth scoring will push the team over the plateau and into their first win.

While Las Vegas holds last place in the league, the season is far from over as they have 15 games left to turn around their losing streak. Teams in the NLL typically need eight or nine wins to make the playoffs, so the Desert Dogs can use this week four contest to make some noise in the league.

LAST GAME NOTES:

The Desert Dogs were outplayed, outshot and outscored against the Wings last Saturday. Casey Jackson, Jonathan Donville and Adam Poitras all shined in the blowout, with all three scoring four points or more. Poitras is finding his groove within the league, scoring at least one point every game this year and scoring goals in the last two games.

Both Vegas goalies, Landon Kells and Nate Faccin, saw turf time in the loss but had trouble stopping the ball. They combined for a 65% save percentage, which is 10 percentage points less than the week three NLL average.

On the other hand, Wings' goalie Nick Damude was a force to be reckoned with, stopping 47 of the 57 shots he faced and shutting out the Desert Dogs in the second quarter. Las Vegas was unable to score for 25 minutes, while Philly went on a 7 - 0 run during that time. Four different Wings scored a hat trick in their win.

WHAT WORKED WELL FOR THE WINGS:

Sharing the Love

The Wings spread the ball around the field, easily setting up each play for four straight quarters. Ten of their players registered a point, with seven scoring at least one goal in their franchise-record-tying 19-goal game. Joe Resetarits with 11 points (3G, 8A) and Holden Cattoni's 10 points (1G, 9A) helped the Wings soar to their victory. First-overall 2024 draft pick, Brennan O'Neill, was also involved in the action for the Wings, tallying four goals and one assist.

Very Special, Special Teams

The Philadelphia Wings dominated the special teams battle, both offensively and defensively. They scored on four of the five powerplay chances they were given during the game, this allowed them to stretch the lead against the Pack and prevented their offense from gaining any momentum. The penalty kill was equally effective, successfully shutting down both Desert Dogs' power plays and scoring a shorthanded goal. Las Vegas will need to stay out of the penalty box in this upcoming matchup to come away with a win.

MILESTONES:

Kyle Killen needs two assists to record 100 career assists.

Casey Jackson needs six assists to record 100 career assists.

Dan Taylor needs 10 goals to record 100 career goals.

Jacob Ruest is 21 points from 300 career points.

LVDD POINT LEADERS:

#33 Jack Hannah: 15 points (9G, 6A)

#3 Jonathan Donville: 15 points (1G, 14A)

#21 Casey Jackson: 12 points (6G, 6A)

The Desert Dogs are hosting the Winter Whiteout game on Friday night, with the first 3,000 fans receiving thundersticks. Tickets are available.

Check out the Las Vegas Desert Dogs Statistics

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