The Rochester Knighthawks (7-7) overcame an early 4-0 deficit to dismantle the Las Vegas Desert Dogs (3-10) by a 21-13 final Friday night at Lee’s Family Forum in Henderson, Nevada.
After yielding the game’s first four goals to the Desert Dogs, the Knighthawks seized control and refused to let up, at one point scoring 13 straight goals while going on an impressive 16-1 run which featured three different hat tricks from Connor Fields, Ryan Smith and rookie Graydon Hogg.
The 21-goal output set a new franchise record for Rochester, which extended its win streak to a season-long three straight games and completed the season sweep of the Desert Dogs to level out its record at 7-7 on the season. The win was also the Knighthawks’ first-ever victory in Las Vegas and the team’s fourth in its last five road contests since the turn of the new year.
Fields decimated the competition with a team-high 11-point performance (6+5) to help lead the Knighthawks past Vegas and maintain his reign atop the NLL scoring lead. The MVP candidate, who moved into seventh all-time in scoring amongst American-born players, is just five points away from becoming the first American player in league history and second overall to reach the 100-point mark in three straight years.
Connor Fields DOMINATED the floor tonight, scoring 6 goals with 5 assists as the Knighthawks take down the Desert Dogs 21-13
👀 Fields Highlights pic.twitter.com/obHbxaeLza
— NLL (@NLL) March 8, 2025
In addition to Fields and Smith (4+2), who scored all four of his goals on the power-play, Ryan Lanchbury (2+7), and Curtis Knight (1+6), each posted at least six points in the onslaught.
Outside of that trio, Hogg (4+1), Thomas McConvey (1+3), Ethan O’ Connor (1+1), Matt Gilray (1+1), and Kyle Waters (1+1) each registered multi-point nights, while Taylor Jenson and Josh Medeiros each found the scoresheet through posting assists.
Rylan Hartley and Riley Hutchcraft split the goaltending duties, combining for 34 saves in the win.
FIRST QUARTER
Las Vegas made it appear as if it were a long night for Rochester, storming out to a 4-0 lead through the first five minutes of the game.
Hogg got Rochester on the board 5:35 into the quarter, beginning not just a rally, but a monstrous run the rest of the way for the Knighthawks. Hogg stepped toward the middle of the floor, reaching there from the right side, then clubbing a shot over the shoulder of Landon Kells and into the back of the goal.
Graydon Hogg with an absolute DART that beats Kells
Vegas: 4
Rochester: 1📺 Watch LIVE on ESPN+ (https://t.co/YEOmA3TNLe), TSN+ and NLL+ pic.twitter.com/CVXs5zQo0z
— NLL (@NLL) March 8, 2025
Rochester would end the quarter in a 5-5 tie, scoring five of the final six goals of the frame, including another from Hogg at the end of the quarter on the power-play, the first of five goals scored on the man-advantage for the Knighthawks.
Hogg’s goal was preceded by Gilray’s, which came off a Vegas turnover. Gilray’s conversion served as the start of an unprecedented 13-0 run for Rochester.
SECOND QUARTER
With the score 5-5, Rochester continued its run with an eight-goal second, including three power-play goals, starting with Hogg’s conversion to give the forward his first hat trick of the season.
Fields would follow with a natural hat trick, scoring three even-strength goals in less than five minutes. His third goal came on a pick sent right at the front of the goal from Kells. The Desert Dogs’ goaltender swung the ball from his stick, but was immediately forced under pressure as Fields intercepted the pass out from Kells right on top of the crease, then bobbed and weaved by the frantic netminder to make it 9-5 with his third consecutive conversion.
Connor Fields is on another level tonight…
Fields picks off Kells and buries his THIRD goal (a natural hat trick) and his 30th of the season. pic.twitter.com/XAdTwhO9Bj
— NLL (@NLL) March 8, 2025
Hogg’s fourth goal put Rochester to double digits, before McConvey and Smith combined for three goals in the final 1:14 of the quarter to put the ‘Hawks up 13-5, through 30 minutes of play.
The first goal for Smith came after the forward was awarded a penalty shot, where Rochester’s leading goal-scorer swam overtop the shoulder of Kells to slice through the net.
Ryan Smith extends his natural hat trick and makes it FOUR in a row.
Knighthawks: 15
Desert Dogs: 5 pic.twitter.com/G0dvPFmEuz— NLL (@NLL) March 8, 2025
THIRD QUARTER
Smith’s final two goals of the opening half came on the power-play. Similar to Fields, Smith, the former first-round draft pick, completed the natural hat trick 2:01 into the third, slamming a shot by Vegas’ Justin Geddie for his third straight. Smith one-upped his teammate, scoring his fourth consecutive goal from the left wing after going over the far side of the Vegas net.
Each of Smith’s four goals came on the power-play, where the Knighthawks went five-for-seven on the man-advantage for the second straight games. Smith continues to lead the NLL with 15 power-play tallies.
After Waters scored to make it 16-5, Connor Kirst scored 18 seconds later for Vegas, ending one of the best runs in recent NLL history.
Fields and Lanchbury would respond to build the ‘Hawks a game-high 12-goal lead, with Lanchbury’s 23rd goal of the season making it 18-6.
Following this, the Desert Dogs would go on to attempt a rally, scoring six of the game’s next seven goals, including a late goal in the quarter from former Knighthawk Holden Cattoni.
Ryan Smith takes flight out of LAS and beats Kells on the penalty shot.
Knighthawks: 12
Desert Dogs: 5 pic.twitter.com/6e8GqfCVqX— NLL (@NLL) March 8, 2025
FOURTH QUARTER
Cattoni’s conversion led to a five-goal run for Vegas, with four coming in the final quarter. Vegas got as close as within seven goals, but with the score 19-12, Fields snapped the run with his fifth goal of the game and later in the quarter completed the sock trick to put the game beyond reach and secure the 21-13 win.
UP NEXT
Rochester will play on the road for the fifth time in its last six games on Saturday, March 15 when they head north of the border for its first look at the Ottawa Black Bears. The 3:00 p.m. matinee from Canadian Tire Centre will be carried live on Big 107.3 FM as well as ESPN+ and NLL+.
