Justin Ivey, Co-Editor
Lacrosse is Awesome©
Saturdays are special in Las Vegas. Bright light, big city, and a nail biter of a lacrosse game at Lee’s Family Forum completed a weekend slate of four NLL games. The Las Vegas Desert Dogs (1-1) ran out to an early lead on the back of new pack member Chase Fraser (2G, 2A), but the visiting Ottawa Black Bears (1-2) fought back in the second half thanks to a big night from Rob Hellyer (2G, 4A). The Desert Dogs led by as many as eight goals, but an eight-goal run from the Black Bears tied the game 9-9 with 9:18 left to play. Mitch Jones (3G, 4A) scored the hero goal with 2:20 remaining, sending the Vegas home crowd home happy. Final Score: Ottawa Black Bears – 9, Las Vegas Desert Dogs – 10
Las Vegas started the game on a tear, holding the Black Bears scoreless while dumping in four goals past starting goaltender Zach Higgins (10GA, 34 SV). Tony Malcom (1G, 1A) started the run with the opening goal 3:51 into play. Jones scored his opening goal almost four minutes later before Fraser scored his first goal as a member of the Desert Dogs on a power play with 4:47 left. 34 seconds after that score, Jonathan Donville (2G, 3A) put the home team up four scores as the offense looked unshakeable. At the end of the first quarter, Las Vegas led Ottawa 4-0.
The Las Vegas good fortune continued to start the second quarter. It took over seven minutes for the first goal to be scored, but the first goal was Fraser’s second of the night. Just twenty seconds later, Adam Poitras (1G, 1A) extended the lead to 6-0. Finally, with 4:31 left in the first half, Ottawa got on the board. Hellyer powered in a short-handed goal, but the celebration was short lived. On the power play, Donville scored his second of the evening. In the last four minutes of play, five more goals came in a flurry. Jones and Jackson Webster (1G) scored next, making it a three-goal Las Vegas run. Ottawa had an answer this time. Brent Noseworthy (1G, 1A) took the ensuing faceoff all the way to the net for an unassisted goal with 2:42 left. Hellyer scored on the next Ottawa possession with 1:44 remaining, and Connor Kearnan completed the three-goal Ottawa run with only two seconds remaining. At the end of the second quarter, Las Vegas led Ottawa 9-4.
Veteran Reilly O’Connor (2G) was the spark for Ottawa in the third quarter. In a reversal of the first quarter, Ottawa scored three goals while holding Las Vegas without a score. O’Connor netted the first two of the quarter, the first 3:21 into play, and the second just over five minutes later. After the following faceoff, Jake Stevens (1G) scored unassisted to bring the visitors within two goals of Las Vegas. At the end of the third quarter, Las Vegas led Ottawa 9-7.
Superstar Jeff Teat (1G, 4A) opened the scoring in the fourth quarter and his powerplay goal 1:37 in meant Ottawa was down just one. After a tense couple of minutes of back-and-forth action, Larson Sundown (1G, 3A) tied the game with his own powerplay goal and just 9:18 left in the game. With tension felt on every possession, Las Vegas was determined. Jones scored the deciding goal with 2:20 remaining, breaking a scoreless drought that went back to the second quarter. Final Score: Ottawa Black Bears – 9, Las Vegas Desert Dogs – 10.
Up Next:
The Ottawa Black Bears (1-2) host the Philadelphia Wings on Saturday, December 27 at 7:00 PM EST.
The Las Vegas Desert Dogs (1-1) travel to play the Toronto Rock on Saturday, December 27 at 7:00 PM EST.