LAS VEGAS (KTNV) — The Las Vegas Desert Dogs will make their on-field debut this week as the 15th expansion team in the National Lacrosse League.
Midfielder Erik Turner said he's "excited to be part of the sports community here. The response we've gotten about being a new team that's representing Las Vegas has been awesome."
The Desert Dogs will open their season on the road against Panther City in Fort Worth, Texas this Friday. They'll play their first home game inside Michelob Ultra Arena at Mandalay Bay on December 16th.
"For a lot of us, it's a new opportunity, a new space," Turner said of the team. "We're really excited about the group that we have, and we all think that we're going to do a really good job of competing on the field."
Turner believes the goal is bigger than just launching a new team — it's to expand the game of lacrosse on the West Coast, especially in the Las Vegas community.
"I think my excitement is people are willing to try it. We've had events with a bunch of local players that came out and learned the game and had never tried it before but were willing to go in, and they had a great time and just embraced it," Turner said. "So we're really grateful that people are so excited about a new sport and are willing to give it a try with us."
For those who may be curious about the sport, Turner made his pitch.
"There's a huge skill element, because there's this tiny ball flying around at a high speed. So it just combines all the best elements of sports, to me, and that connection to your teammates and just the pace of the game is just really awesome," Turner said. "So I know that people are going to really enjoy it when they come see us."
The Desert Dogs play their first home game inside Michelob Ultra Arena at Mandalay Bay on Friday, Dec. 16.
