Ryan Smith (2+4) and Connor Fields (3+3) led the Rochester Knighthawks (3-6) with six points each, but five straight unanswered goals by the Las Vegas Desert Dogs (4-6), including four in the final frame, proved to be the difference as the Knighthawks saw their winless streak reach six games with a 12-8 loss Saturday night at Segar and Sciortino Field at The Blue Cross Arena.
Eight Knighthawks contributed to the scoresheet. Smith converted for two goals and four helpers, while Fields’ hat trick and six-point night pushed his point totals to 60 on the season (26+34). In addition to Rochester’s offensive duo, Thomas McConvey, Kyle Waters, and Dan Lomas each scored a goal, while Ryan Lanchbury (0+2), Curtis Knight (0+2), and Tyler Halls (0+1) all factored in with assists. Riley Hutchcraft made 28 saves in goal for the ‘Hawks, who drop to 3-6 on the season as they reach the midway point of the 2023-24 NLL campaign.
Las Vegas captain Rob Hellyer led the way with a six-point night and was the catalyst in his team’s five-goal run, factoring in on three of the Desert Dogs’ goals in that stretch. Goaltender Landon Kells turned in a stellar 47-save effort and was unbeatable in the fourth quarter as he single-handedly kept Rochester off the scoreboard over the final 15 minutes of regulation.
Las Vegas started the game with an early goal 1:24 into the contest with Casey Jackson tucking the ball underneath Hutchcraft to give the Desert Dogs a 1-0 lead, but McConvey quickly answered back after being fed by Smith in front of the net to tie the game 1:10 after the opening goal by Las Vegas.
McConvey’s conversion opened up a three-goal run, with Fields and Lomas adding to the score before former Knighthawk Charlie Bertrand cut the deficit in half and Jack Hannah tied the contest at three apiece heading into the second quarter.
Waters helped the ‘Hawks regain the lead in the opening minute of the second, firing from the left side for his 11th goal of the season.
Hellyer tied the game for Las Vegas midway through the second quarter, but Rochester was ready to respond again. In his first game of the season, Curtis Knight used his vision to curl the ball through traffic to Smith to put the Knighthawks back up, 5-4. The Desert Dogs tied things late, but Smith pounced again with 39 seconds left to help Rochester carry a 6-5 advantage into halftime.
🚨 CONNOR FI3LDS STRIKES AGAIN!
8-7, us | Q3, 4:16 remaining pic.twitter.com/TeNH1z7Idv
— Rochester Knighthawks (@RocKnighthawks) February 25, 2024
Fields opened the scoring in the second half with a power-play goal in the opening minute, sliding down to the top of the crease to blast his shot past Kells.
The Desert Dogs responded with two goals to tie things up, but Rochester continued to persevere, as Fields maneuvered around the attacking zone before blasting his third of the night through, completing the hat trick for an 8-7 lead with under five minutes left in the third quarter.
Hellyer scored his second of the night with under a minute to play in the quarter, keeping the back-and-forth narrative going into the fourth quarter, where for the first time since the opening goal, Las Vegas gained the lead with Jackson making it 9-8 with his second of the night.
Hellyer followed by completing the hat trick, putting the Knighthawks down by multiple goals for the first time in the game with just over 10 minutes remaining. The run continued for the remainder of the game, with Hannah and Jackson scoring the final goals of the contest for the 12-8 final.
Las Vegas scored seven of the last eight goals in the game while subsequently holding Rochester off the board for the final 19:16. Kells finished the night with 47 saves, a career-high for the visiting goaltender.
The Knighthawks return to action on Sunday, March 3 when they visit Panther City, before coming home the following week on March 9 to host the Albany FireWolves in the front half of a home-and-home series with their intrastate rival at Segar and Sciortino Field at The Blue Cross Arena.
