LAS VEGAS (March 3, 2026) — The Las Vegas Desert Dogs (4–6) head east for a matchup against the Halifax Thunderbirds (4–7), with faceoff set for 3:00 p.m. PST on Saturday, March 7, inside Scotiabank Centre.
The teams have met just twice in franchise history, most recently on March 1, 2025, when Halifax earned a 9–5 defensive victory in Las Vegas. The Thunderbirds have won both previous meetings between the two clubs.
###VANCOUVER VANQUISHES VEGAS
The Desert Dogs have dropped three straight games, with their latest setback a 14–10 loss to the Vancouver Warriors, their second defeat to Vancouver this season. The Warriors pulled away with a dominant third quarter, scoring four unanswered goals to create separation.
Tyson Gibson and Ben Soenen made their season debuts, with Soenen appearing in his first NLL game. Las Vegas had six different goal scorers, led by Adam Poitras, who recorded a hat trick and three assists for a six-point night. Jonathan Donville matched him with six points of his own (2G, 4A). The Dogs mounted a push with five fourth-quarter goals but ultimately could not complete the comeback.
###ALL THUNDER, NO LIGHNTING
The Halifax Thunderbirds have failed to strike this 2025–26 season, managing just four wins and sitting 11th in the league. They snapped a five-game losing streak last week with a 14–10 victory over the Calgary Roughnecks, but have had a tough time at home, winning only once in five games at Scotiabank Centre.
Offensively, scoring has been a challenge, with Clarke Petterson the lone player over 20 goals this season (23). At the faceoff dot, Jake Withers has been dominant, recording 168 wins with a 68 percent success rate, ranking third in the league, while also collecting 112 loose balls, good for second. In net, Warren Hill and Drew Hutchison have combined to allow just over nine goals per game with a strong .811 save percentage.
The Desert Dogs match up well in this contest and have a prime opportunity to snap their losing streak, but Halifax is a scrappy team fighting for its postseason life, making this one of the must-watch games of Week 15.
MILESTONES
Sheldon Burns is 9 points away from 100 career NLL points.
Chris Cloutier is 2 goals away from 150 career NLL goals.
Mitch Jones is 2 goals away from 300 career NLL goals AND 7 assists from 500 career NLL assists.
Tony Malcom is 3 goals away from 100 career NLL goals AND 4 assists from 150 career NLL assists.
Kyle Killen played in 100th NLL game against Vancouver and hit 150 career NLL goals in that game.
LVDD POINT LEADERS
#16 Mitch Jones – 58 points (21G, 37A)
#3 Jonathan Donville – 51 points (12G, 39A)
#25 Chris Cloutier – 43 points (19G, 24A)
#8 Chase Fraser – 22 points (10G, 12A)
#91 Adam Poitras – 21 points (13G, 8A)
HOW TO WATCH
Fans can attend the Official Watch Party at Rio Las Vegas and watch on giant bigscreens in the Masquerade Village. Also, Fans can watch locally on SSSEN (5.4 / Cox 125) or stream on NLL+ and ESPN+. Faceoff is set for 3:00 p.m. PT // 6:00 p.m. ET, with a re-air on SSSEN following the game.
ABOUT LAS VEGAS DESERT DOGS
The Las Vegas Desert Dogs are a professional box lacrosse team and a member of the National Lacrosse League (NLL). Known for their dedication to excellence and their passionate fanbase, the Desert Dogs have become a symbol of local pride for the city of Las Vegas and one of the most entertaining nights out. The Desert Dogs play 18 games in the regular season, 9 home games + 9 away games. All home games are played at Lee’s Family Forum located in Henderson, NV, minutes away from the Las Vegas Strip. Games can be viewed locally on FOX 5, SSSEN, YouTube TV, ESPN+ and select games on ESPN2 and ESPNU. To stay updated on all things Las Vegas Desert Dogs, visit our official website lasvegasdesertdogs.com and follow us on social media @VegasDesertDogs on Facebook, Instagram, X and LinkedIn.
**ABOUT NATIONAL LACROSSE LEAGUE **
The National Lacrosse League (NLL) is North America’s largest professional lacrosse league and welcomed more than 1 million fans for the third consecutive year during the 2024-25 season. Founded in 1986, the NLL is comprised of 14 franchises across Canada and the United States, and recently unveiled its largest brand campaign ever, “Welcome to The Next Major League™” and introduced its comprehensive grassroots initiative, NLL UnBOXed™, that will expand the League’s footprint to 60 communities across North America by 2028. For the latest scores and developments in the National Lacrosse League, please visit: NLL.com and find the NLL on Facebook, Instagram, X, YouTube and TikTok. Games are available live and streaming on TSN, TSN+, ESPN, and NLL+.
For all media inquiries please contact, Dana Mariotti, Vice President of Marketing & Communications, [email protected].
To request media credentials to the Las Vegas Desert Dogs Home Opener, please click HERE.
