Justin Ivey, Co-Editor
Lacrosse is Awesome©
Featured Image Photo Credit: James Bennett
Don’t let the 11 penalties on the night convince you last night’s game was a gentle affair. The Las Vegas Desert Dogs (4-7) visited the Halifax Thunderbirds (5-7) and both teams were poking and pushing after the whistle throughout the evening. The score stayed tight most of the night, outside of a four-goal run that opened the second quarter for Las Vegas. That surge gave the Desert Dogs their largest lead of the game — four goals with 7:38 left in the first half.
Halifax chipped away from there, led by Clarke Petterson (3G, 4A), and eventually held off a furious late rally after taking the lead for good in the fourth quarter. Chris Cloutier (2G, 3A) helped keep Las Vegas within striking distance late, but the Desert Dogs had simply dug too deep a hole with too little time remaining.
Final Score: Las Vegas Desert Dogs – 11, Halifax Thunderbirds – 13.
The first quarter was a defensive battle on both sides of the floor. Neither goalie allowed a ball to cross the line until nearly ten minutes had passed. A Halifax penalty provided the first opening. Mitch Jones (2G, 1A) put Las Vegas ahead 1-0 with a sidearm rip from outside that fooled Warren Hill (11GA, 42SV) and found the top corner. With under a minute remaining, Ryan Terefenko (1G) finally solved Landon Kells (13GA, 43SV), tying the game on a shorthanded breakaway as Halifax was about to finish killing a penalty. At the end of the first quarter, Las Vegas and Halifax were tied 1-1.
The second quarter almost felt like a completely different game. The teams combined for nine gritty goals as Las Vegas opened with a four-goal run that briefly gave them control. Just 1:33 into the quarter, Adam Poitras (2G, 1A) drove the cage and finished with a diving crease attempt. On the next possession, Jones added another diving finish after catching a pass from Kevin Crowley (3A). Jackson Webster (1G) followed with a bounce shot through Hill’s legs after beating his defender with a face dodge. Connor Kirst (1G, 1A) capped the run in transition, carrying the ball up the floor before wiring a shot into the top corner to give Las Vegas a 5-1 lead.
Halifax finally answered on the power play when Cody Jamieson (1G, 3A) dodged to the crease and scored from in close. Las Vegas responded with a power-play goal of its own as Jonathan Donville (1G, 4A) released from the high slot and slipped a shot through Hill’s five-hole. Austin Blumbergs (1G) kept Halifax within reach with his first goal of the season, and Petterson added a low-to-high shot with 1:26 remaining to cut the deficit to two. Halifax pulled Hill for the extra attacker late in the half, and with just 1.6 seconds left Stephen Keough (3G, 1A) buried a rebound in traffic. At halftime, Las Vegas led 6-5.
Halifax carried that late momentum into the third quarter. Will MacLeod (1G, 1A) opened the scoring with a quick-stick finish in transition after a cross-floor feed from Jake Withers (1A). Las Vegas answered almost immediately as Poitras scored in transition just 25 seconds later. Halifax responded again moments later when Ethan O’Connor (1G) finished an odd-man break from in close to tie the game. On a power play midway through the quarter, Petterson danced to the crease and finished with a crease-jump goal to give Halifax its first lead of the night. Despite several breakaways and a quick pace the rest of the quarter, neither team could add another goal. At the end of the third, Halifax led Las Vegas 8-7.
Kyle Killen (2G, 2A) tied the game early in the fourth quarter for Las Vegas, but Petterson answered just over a minute later with another strong dodge to the crease. The Thunderbirds began to build separation when Nonkon Thompson (1G) finished a cross-floor pass from Keough to make it a two-goal game. Cloutier answered with a power-play blast from the high slot, but Jason Knox (1G, 4A) restored the cushion for Halifax after being left alone on the crease. He caught the ball, faked once, and buried the shot.
Keough then delivered one of the most impressive goals of the night. After catching a feed from Knox, he carried his momentum across the crease, absorbed contact while passing the net, and fired while falling sideways to extend the lead. He added another shortly after in transition while Las Vegas was shorthanded, even with defenders draped all over him.
The Desert Dogs made one last push. Cloutier blasted another shot past Hill with 1:26 remaining, and with 46.2 seconds left Killen appeared to dunk a goal from behind the net. Originally ruled no goal on the floor, the play went to review due to heavy traffic around the crease. After a lengthy review, the call was overturned and Las Vegas pulled within one.
Halifax won the ensuing faceoff and called a timeout with 32.1 seconds remaining to preserve possession. The Thunderbirds nearly scored on the empty net coming out of the break, but the shot stayed in the crease. Las Vegas had one final chance but could not beat Hill, and after Halifax cleared the ball down the floor the clock finally expired.
Final Score: Las Vegas Desert Dogs – 11, Halifax Thunderbirds – 13.
Up Next:
The Halifax Thunderbirds (5-7) will host the Toronto Rock on Friday, March 13 at 6:30 PM EST.
The Vancouver Warriors (4-7) will travel to play the Georgia Swarm on Saturday, March 14 at 7:30 PM EST.