Utah has a foothold in lacrosse, and the state's pro team is home this weekend

HERRIMAN — The history of lacrosse in Utah isn't always lengthy, but it may go back further than some realize.

The first recorded lacrosse game was set to happen July 10, 1946, when Notre Dame College in Canada was scheduled to play a charity friendly at East High to benefit the Knights of Columbus youth committee, according to an article in the Salt Lake Tribune at the time.

It's believed to be the first lacrosse match in the state — and the paper of record even lists the sport as "making its debut in the intermountain west," according to local lacrosse historian Tim Haslam of Utah Lax Report.

For the first time ever, the state will have a professional team to represent when the Utah Archers open the final home stand weekend in the Premier Lacrosse League at 6 p.m. MDT Friday at Zions Bank Stadium (ESPN+).

The Archers (4-4) are still looking to lock up a playoff spot, and will get two matches to do it with games Friday against the California Redwoods (3-6) and Saturday against Rocky Mountain rival Denver Outlaws (5-4).

From humble beginnings, lacrosse in Utah has grown to include four MCLA Division I programs (BYU, Utah Valley, Utah and Utah Tech), two Division II teams (Utah State, Southern Utah), and the western-most NCAA Division I team when Utah joined the ranks in 2019 under now-Boston Cannons head coach Brian Holman to join NCAA Division II Westminster in the state.

More than 1,150 youth lacrosse players have taken part in nine Utah Archers' juniors events this year, according to the league, led by the state's largest youth club in Utah Summit LC — led by current pros Adam Ghitelman, Will Manny and former Brighton High star Bubba Fairman, who play for the Cannons.

"Salt Lake is one of those markets that is really up-and-coming," PLL co-founder and CEO Mike Rabil said. "I'm excited about getting back into it."

Added Paul Rabil, his brother and co-founder, on the brothers' One-on-One podcast: "I love Salt Lake. It's a special place for the PLL, from the history of us playing there to our championship series during the global pandemic to last year, where we sell the thing out week over week, when the king of sports ownership in Utah Ryan Smith came and watched the games. The community, from lacrosse fans to sports fans to owners, show out in SLC — and it's going to be a lot of fun to be back."

For one Archers player, wearing "Utah" across his chest means a bit more.

Beau Pederson was a star at Park City High, where the Utah native was a two-time All American and two-time Utah most valuable player while lettering in lacrosse, hockey and football.

The 6-foot-3, 205-pound midfielder went on to an All-Ivy League career at Princeton, where he moved to short-stick defensive middie and became one of the best in the country before transferring to play his final collegiate season as a graduate student at Michigan — his father's, Chip, alma mater — prior to being selected in the second round of the 2024 PLL draft.

Now, the son of the former Wolverine tight end is coming home.

"That's what you dream of," Pederson told the league's website. "You dream of getting drafted by a professional sports team and for it to be the one that is your home base. To be able to represent where you grew up at the highest level is awesome. I couldn't have been happier."

Archers head coach Chris Bates, who originally recruited Pederson to Princeton, didn't draft Pederson because of his Utah roots; he just thought he was arguably the best short stick defensive midfielder available at the time.

"And then, all of a sudden," he added, "you put two and two together and you're like, "Holy crap, this makes a ton of sense. He's a Utah guy, too!'"

The Archers are led by one of the top attacking midfielders in the league in Tom Schreiber, the former Princeton standout nicknamed "Captain America" and "Mr. Ambidextrous" who leads all midfielders with 25 points on 9 one-point goals, a 2-pointer and 14 assists.

Former Penn State star Grant Ament is just behind, ranking third in the PLL with 21 points from 13 goals and eight assists, goalie Brett Dobson is third in the league with a 56% save percentage on 117 saves.

Each of them will be looking to the home crowd to fuel a pair of wins and a spot atop the West for the upcoming PLL playoffs, which start Sept. 2 in Foxborough, Massachussetts. If Utah beats California to clinch a playoff berth Friday night, then Saturday's game against Denver will have the top spot in the West and a spot in next spring's PLL Championship Series sixes tournament on the line.

Related topics