The Las Vegas Desert Dogs (4–12) hit the road one last time this season as they head to Canada to take on the Ottawa Black Bears (7–9). The two teams will face off on Saturday, April 12, at 4 p.m. PST.
This marks the first-ever meeting between the Desert Dogs and the expansion Black Bears, making it a fresh matchup between two young NLL franchises. With both teams eager to start their all-time series with a win, it’s shaping up to be an exciting showdown.
LAST GAME RECAP
Week 19 saw the Desert Dogs pull off an incredible comeback, edging out the Toronto Rock 14–13 in overtime. It was one of the greatest games ever played at home for the Pack—an instant classic inside Lee’s Family Forum.
Nine different players found the back of the net for Vegas, with five of them scoring twice. Jonathan Donville led the way with seven points, but it was Jack Hannah’s clutch performance and timely goals that proved decisive. Hannah scored the shorthanded game-winner in overtime, sealing the Desert Dogs' fourth win of the season—and their second at home.
While the Dogs struggled defensively at times, including surrendering a five-goal run in the third and fourth quarters, a game-saving play by goalie Landon Kells proved crucial. His massive hit on a Rock player during a breakaway prevented what would have been the game-winning goal for Toronto.
Sunday’s all-around team effort showed what this squad is capable of when firing on all cylinders. With this momentum, the Desert Dogs look to carry that same energy into the final two games of the season.
OPPOSITION UPDATE
The Ottawa Black Bears are still in the hunt for one of the final playoff spots but currently sit on the outside looking in with a 7–9 record. After a tough 12–6 loss last week against the Rochester Knighthawks, Ottawa will come into this one hungry, scrappy, and ferocious—just like a real bear.
Forward Jeff Teat is just one point shy of hitting the 100-point mark, with 45 goals and 54 assists. He’s been an offensive powerhouse all season and will be tough to contain. On the defensive side, netminder Zach Higgins has been outstanding, posting a 79% save percentage—well above the league average.
Scoring opportunities will be hard to come by, so the Desert Dogs will need to capitalize when they can. One of those chances will likely come on the power play, as the Black Bears have racked up over 1,000 penalty minutes this season.
This is a winnable game for Las Vegas, but like most matchups in the NLL, it won’t come easy.
MILESTONES
Jack Hannah is four goals away from reaching 100 career NLL goals.
Drew Belgrave is two games away from reaching 100 career NLL appearances.
Sheldon Burns needs to secure seven loose balls for 500 career NLL loose ball recoveries.
DESERT DOGS POINT LEADERS
Jonathan Donville – 75 points (20 goals, 55 assists)
Jack Hannah – 74 points (34 goals, 40 assists)
Holden Cattoni – 73 points (28 goals, 45 assists), 13 points (7 goals, 6 assists) since joining Vegas
Casey Jackson – 50 points (24 goals, 26 assists)
Kyle Killen & Adam Poitras – 40 points (18 goals, 22 assists)
The game can be watched on ESPN+, FOX5 and YouTube TV.
