Desert Dogs hoping fortunes turn around in 3rd season

It’s all about continuing to build the culture for the Desert Dogs.

The team is entering its third season in the National Lacrosse League, and the message is clear. The Desert Dogs are planning to build off their first two seasons, both with losing records.

There’s reason, in the eyes of coach and general manager Shawn Williams, that this is the beginning of a new era.

For one, the Desert Dogs will be playing in a new home, moving to Lee’s Family Forum in Henderson after playing the first two years at Michelob Ultra Arena.

The experience they’ve obtained — on their original roster, as well as players they’ve brought in from free agency and the NLL draft — also give Williams the confidence that things are looking up.

The Desert Dogs open the season at 4 p.m. Saturday against the Rochester Knighthawks at Blue Cross Arena in Rochester, New York.

“We feel strongly about all the changes we made and the chemistry we’ve developed,” Williams said. “That’s why I definitely feel better about going into this season, for sure.”

The optimism starts at the top. Transition player Connor Kirst, an original member of the organization, was named the second captain in team history. Kirst, one of the team’s best two-way players, was named to the All-World Box Team following the 2024 World Lacrosse Box Championships.

Kirst leads a group that Williams feels has a chance to be dynamic.

The Desert Dogs brought forward Jonathan Donville from Panther City via the NLL dispersal draft. Donville had 79 points last season and is expected to be one of the leaders on a team that had a minus-47 goal differential while finishing 5-13 for the second consecutive season.

Youth is also expected to play a big part. The Desert Dogs selected forward Adam Poitras with the No. 2 pick in this year’s NLL draft. Poitras started all 16 games last season for Loyola-Maryland and was third on the team with 29 goals and 38 points.

“We really did a deep dive on what we were missing,” Williams said. “We just tried to do our due diligence in finding the right pieces. Now we’ve got to put it together and put it on the field.”

The Desert Dogs will have their hands full in trying to stop the Rochester offense.

It starts with forward Connor Fields, who recorded 54 goals and 120 points last season. Williams is wary of the impact he can make, which makes this an appropriate way to start to try and get things in the right direction.

“It’s a solid matchup,” Williams said. “I think our guys are up for the challenge and ready to run against any team in the league.”

Contact Danny Webster at dwebster@reviewjournal.com. Follow @DannyWebster21 on X.