LAS VEGAS (March 15, 2026) – The Las Vegas Desert Dogs (5-7) snapped a four-game losing streak with a dominant 17-10 victory over the Rochester Knighthawks (5-7).
It was a night filled with scoring for the Desert Dogs, as four different players recorded hat tricks and eight different players found the back of the net. Goalie Alex Buque made his first start for Las Vegas this season and finished with 44 saves on 54 shots for an 81% save percentage.
Special teams also played a major role in the win. The Desert Dogs went a perfect 100% on the power play and added two shorthanded goals.
The Desert Dogs opened the game with a goal from Kyle Killen, extending his goal-scoring streak to six games. The Dogs doubled their lead with a power-play goal courtesy of Jonathan Donville. Connor Kirst then stole the ball on the defensive end, took it down the turf himself, and fired it into the net. A forced turnover turned into a Chris Cloutier goal in front of the net, and Cloutier followed it up with another shortly after. Killen added his second goal of the game later in the quarter. Rochester scored twice in the frame, but a dominant first quarter gave the Dogs a 6-2 lead.
Killen kept it going in the second quarter, scoring his third goal of the game, and Donville followed with his second. It was goals galore in the first half for Las Vegas. Adam Poitras, with just 3.6 seconds remaining in the half, was able to sneak the ball underneath the goalie. The Knighthawks earned a 5-on-3 and capitalized, but the Dogs still led 9-3 going into halftime.
The Knighthawks opened the scoring in the third quarter with a carryover power play and then added another on the next possession. However, Mitch Jones ripped home a shorthanded goal to snap the mini scoring streak. Killen then ripped one from up top for his fourth goal of the game, the most he has scored in a game this season. On an odd-man rush, Rhys Blake found Jackson Webster backdoor to make it 12-5 Las Vegas. Rochester responded with two power-play goals and a full-strength tally to cut the deficit, but the Desert Dogs still led 12-8 heading into the fourth.
Cloutier completed his hat trick early in the fourth quarter to get Las Vegas back on track. Donville then set up Jones for his second goal of the night with a perfect pinpoint pass, and Jones followed it up shortly after with a one-handed shot while falling. Kevin Crowley sniped one into the corner to give the Dogs a seven-goal lead halfway through the final quarter. Donville later completed his hat trick and tied the franchise record with the Desert Dogs’ 17th goal of the night. Rochester scored twice in the fourth, but Las Vegas was too much to handle as the Dogs secured the 17-10 win.
The Las Vegas Desert Dogs will take on the Rochester Knighthawks again next week, this time in New York on March 21 at 4 p.m. PST. Las Vegas will return home on March 28 at 7 p.m. PST to celebrate Heroes’ Night.
You can get tickets HERE!
LVDD TOP THREE SCORERS
#16 Mitch Jones – 9 points (3G, 6A)
#3 Jonathan Donville - 8 points (3G, 5A)
#25 Chris Cloutier – 7 points (3G, 4A)
