Sports

On the Prowl to the Playoffs: Panther City Lacrosse Club

Jonathan Donville

Velton

March 8, 2023

The Dallas-Fort Worth area is home to many professional sports teams, but there is only one located in the heart of Fort Worth – the Panther City Lacrosse Club.

Founded in 2020, Panther City became the 14th franchise in the National Lacrosse League (NLL), and played its first game in December 2021. It is the first, and only, NLL expansion in Texas.

“There’s lots of stuff in the DFW greater area, but Panther City Lacrosse is the only team in Fort Worth,” says Panther City forward Jonathan Donville. “So that’s exciting to kind of take on that responsibility and the honor of representing Fort Worth specifically.”

Jonathan Donville

The Ontario-native has been playing lacrosse since he was four, and followed in the footsteps of his older brother by playing at the collegiate level at Cornell. Then, in 2021, he was chosen as the first overall pick in the NLL draft. He finished out his fifth year at Maryland before making his debut this season in Fort Worth.

Panther City, which is right in the thick of this seasons playoff race, is currently fighting for one of the four playoff spots within the Western Conference, with a 7-5 record.

Coached by NLL alum Tracey Kelusky, they are looking to make it to playoffs for the first time, after falling short late into their inaugural year.

“We’ve had some ups, some downs, and I think the real positive side of our season is we’ve handled the downs really well,” says Donville. “We’ve done a good job of trusting each other and finding our way out of it.”

Jonathan Donville

The team recently hosted their “Texas Forever” night, where they debuted their first ever alternate jerseys, which featured the Texas Flag, as well as other Lone Star-themed symbols.

At the Texas Forever game, which was held on March 4, Panther City defeated the Saskatchewan Rush 16-10.

During halftime, and after the game, the Squeezebox Bandits, a local Honky Tonk band, performed for the fans.

Besides theme nights, Panther City has also introduced other ways for the community to get involved, including dance clinics, and youth programs like the Panther City Juniors program. Their internal team also goes above and beyond to make sure trips out to Dickies Arena for games are as fun as possible.

“Our game presentation staff does an incredible job putting on a good show throughout, and it really is a party,” says Donville.

Jonathan Donville

Outside of playing, some of the players have gotten to live and explore Fort Worth as the season has progressed. Some favorite activities have included watching TCU basketball games, and visiting different restaurants on West 7th.

The community has shown up and been great to them so far, and they hope to continue to make a name for themselves here in Fort Worth this season.

“This is a group of guys this community can be proud of,” says Donville. “We are the youngest team in the league, we play a fun style to watch, and more importantly, it’s a group that I am proud to be a part of.”