Desert Dogs Enjoy Best Season Yet Despite Missing Playoffs

^{The Las Vegas Desert Dogs won an exciting season finale on Fan Appreciation Night last Saturday at Lee’s Family Forum in Henderson. (Photo: @Vegas_Matty / X.com)}

LAS VEGAS – The Las Vegas Desert Dogs may have fallen short of making the National Lacrosse League playoffs for the first time. Even so, the team still led the NLL in scoring and closed out its fourth season on April 18 with several franchise records and a clear sense of a bright future.

“The goal for our team this season was to take a significant leap forward and double our win total from last season,” Cody Moll, Las Vegas VP of Operations and Assistant GM, told Casinos.com. “Although, when you are on the doorstep of getting into the postseason, it is heartbreaking to come up short. This season has been different. You can see it. You can feel it. On the floor. Off the floor. In the arena and with our fans in this city.”

Las Vegas finished 8-10 after going 4-14 in 2025, tying with three other teams for eighth place in the NLL. Unfortunately, the Desert Dogs were on the short end of a tie-breaker for the last playoff spot and did not have a chance to get into the postseason heading into their season finale. However, that did not seem to dampen the players' effort, who scored a franchise record 18 goals in a thrilling 18-16 win over the San Diego Seals.

On Fan Appreciation Night at Lee’s Family Forum in Henderson, the team’s supporters were treated to a hard-fought battle that saw seven of the 34 combined goals scored on 13 power-play opportunities. When all was said and done, there were 44 penalty minutes served between Las Vegas and San Diego. Elton John’s “Saturday Night’s Alright for Fighting” also helped to serve as an appropriate theme song as tempers flared throughout the game.

“We knew we were out of the playoffs by faceoff, but we still had the chance to achieve that eight-win goal,” Moll said. “I am proud of our group, we finished strong and hit that goal on Saturday.”

Desert Dogs Break Records During Successful Campaign

All was not lost for Las Vegas as the season finally came to a close, with several positives pointing to a bright future. The Desert Dogs scored a franchise-best and league-leading 219 goals, averaging 12.2 per game. Only three other teams topped 200 goals. The Vancouver Warriors, who finished with the best record in the league at 13-5, scored exactly 200.

Individually, Jonathan Donville and Mitch Jones also ranked in the NLL's Top 10 in scoring. Donville finished with 106 points and Jones with 104, marking the first time that any Desert Dog has crossed the 100-point mark in a season.

In addition, Vegas went from the fourth-most penalized team in the league to the second-least. The team's home record was also one of the best in the NLL.

“(We) made Lee's Family Forum a dangerous place to play, going from a 2 -7 record at home last year to a 6-3 one this season,” Moll said. “Most importantly, we continued to build and establish a culture here in Las Vegas, a home for lacrosse, and a place where players recognize the value of playing for the Dogs and our fans in this city.”

Improved Roster Should Lead Las Vegas to Postseason

It goes without saying that the Desert Dogs are hopeful of extending their season into the playoffs next year. But in order to reach that goal, their defense must improve to push into the playoff threshold next year. Las Vegas surrendered the second-most goals in the league this year, with 229 and an average of 12.7 per game.

Fortunately, the Desert Dogs return 14 players next season, including their top three scorers in Donville and Jones, along with Chris Cloutier, who's scored 83 points this season. 

Moll also said two of their best young players will be back. Adam Poitras, the second overall pick in the 2024 NLL Draft, signed a five-year contract extension — the longest in team history. The other is Caleb Khaa, a 19-year-old goalie prospect selected in the first round of the 2025 draft who has continued to develop throughout the season.

Looking ahead to 2027, Moll believes adding a player or two in free agency is all it will take for Las Vegas to break through to the playoffs. The Desert Dogs hold nine picks in this year’s draft as well, including three in the first round. 

For those interested in attending a game next season, he has one final message to get potential fans excited.

“Come for the party, stay for the game,” Moll said. “Once you enter the arena, you will be amazed with the athleticism, physicality, and goals on the floor and the game presentation and production off of it. A sport that will be included in the (Summer) Olympics in LA28, come witness these players at a local level, before they hit the world stage in the coming years.”