With hometown Archers leading way, lacrosse has found a home in Utah

HERRIMAN — Grant Ament was stunned, but only as much as 5,000-plus of his closest friends Friday night when Ryder Garnsey's overtime goal appeared to clinch California's upset victory over the Utah Archers.

By now, you know how that one turned out: Garnsey's goal was overturned on a shot-clock violation, and rookie Jack VanOverbeke scored the match-winner to lift the Archers to a 13-12 win in a thrilling opener to the Archers' homecoming weekend at Zions Bank Stadium.

The Utah Archers were home.

"I was lucky enough to be on the bubble team here, no fans, cardboard cutouts in the stands. For all of us pros, because there haven't been cities, the hometown crowd hasn't really been a thing," Ament recalled after the match.

"When that goal got turned back, the place erupted. I started jumping up and down; it gave all of us so much juice," he added. "We were told it would be a great crowd, based on ticket sales, based on Dick's Sporting Goods being sold out for (an autograph appearance by) Tom Schreiber. We're so grateful for this Utah crowd; I just kept telling people, see you tomorrow. And hopefully we'll have the same result."

A day later, the Archers took aim on the Denver Outlaws, burying the Colorado side with an avalanche of goals in the third quarter en route to a 13-9 win that clinched a Western Conference title for the first time since the PLL unveiled geographic divisions earlier this year, a first-round bye in the playoffs, and a berth in the semifinals Sept. 7 in Long Island, New York.

Saturday wasn't the moment lacrosse came to Utah, with exhibition matches dating back to at least 1946. The University of Utah has fielded an NCAA Division I program since 2019, and the sport has been sanctioned by the Utah High School Activities Association since 2020.

Saturday wasn't the birth of a sport in the Beehive State, but it may have been the day "Salt Lax City" came of age.

Lacrosse fans from across the state packed the Salt Lake suburb for the two-day Archers homecoming weekend that capped the 2024 regular season. Some of them crossed state lines, too.

Joe Edgerton drove from his home in Las Vegas around 5 a.m. Friday morning. After a quick nap in his hotel, the Philadelphia Waterdogs fan of the past two seasons was in his midfield seats for his third road trip of the PLL season.

Edgerton was impressed by what he saw in Albany, New York, the home site of the Atlas, and San Diego, home of the Redwoods this year. But Utah's home crowd beat them both, he noted.

"This has been the most packed stadium. Utah has packed it up," he said while watching the Waterdogs' 13-12 win over the top-rated Atlas. "There were a lot of people in San Diego, and there were a lot of people in New York, but there is a big lacrosse fan base here in Utah. They love the Archers, they cheer for them, and they root for them.

"I can't wait to go to Philadelphia next year, because I know they have a rabid fan base there; it's really something. And the PLL really puts on a top-notch show."

Lacrosse has spread along the Wasatch Front in large part due to the youth game. More than 1,100 children of a variety of ages are involved in Junior Archers programs from Logan to St. George, as youngsters look up to homegrown pros like Park City's Beau Pederson of the Archers, Sandy's Bubba Fairman of the Boston Cannons, and former Utah coaches Marcus Holman and Will Manny of Boston.

Watching and coaching his 10-year-old son Liam play was a big reason why PLL fan Alex Hill came to love lacrosse.

"We've fallen in love with the sport," said the Kaysville native whose wife from Connecticut introduced him to the sport. "It's a massive mix of athleticism, intelligence and skill. It's just awesome.

"My boy's 10 years old now, played since kindergarten, and he's loved every moment of it."

Often called "the fastest game on two feet," Hill calls lacrosse a blend of football and basketball — a unique mix of contact, speed and athleticism. Once it ingrained in the children, the parents weren't far behind.

"The kids love it, and then the parents follow suit," Hill said. "Even football parents and soccer parents are telling me how much they've loved lacrosse even more than football and soccer. It's amazing to see."

Craig Mueller of Hyde Park was a "traditional sports" fan in Pennsylvania, even coaching his son through baseball until he told him one wintry day he wanted to give lacrosse a try.

"I wasn't very happy about that," said Mueller, in between waving his Utah Archers flag on the top row of the stadium. "At the first practice, I sat with my arms crossed; I showed no interest. But that's how it continued until I saw the amount of exercise he was getting, and when the spring season started, we went to see a (Penn State) game at State College, and I couldn't sit down. … I was hooked."

A year later, the Muellers moved to Cache Valley and he got involved in coaching at Sky View High and eventually joined the local youth lacrosse board.

Mueller now helps with the Green Canyon youth program and the Northern Utah Lacrosse Club in Cache and Box Elder counties. He recalled around a dozen kids showing up to practices, camps and clinics when he first moved to Utah a decade ago.

Last month, when Mueller attended a Junior Archers camp, he saw "about 80" kids in attendance. Many of them brought their family to Herriman over the weekend, including his wife who wore Waterdogs purple during the first game against the New York Atlas.

"We've been into the PLL since it started, and the 'Dogs wore purple, which she liked," Mueller said. "I think she still likes purple. But I started out as an Archers fan because of two Penn State players, Ament and Mac O'Keefe. They've always been two of my favorite players as a Penn State lacrosse fan, and I was instantly drawn to them."

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