Through three seasons in the PLL, the Utah Archers’ Brett Dobson is a two-time champ and the league’s lone two-time championship MVP. He’s established himself as a top-two goalie in the world and one of the most clutch players in the sport. 

At this time three years ago, Dobson didn’t know what his future would entail. He was months away from finishing his undergraduate degree at St. Bonaventure with one year of eligibility remaining and plenty of options. Would he return to St. Bonaventure for his fifth year? Would he entertain offers in the transfer portal from a swath of interested schools, including Syracuse, Duke, Ohio State and Denver? 

Dobson put together two stellar seasons as the Bonnies’ full-time starter in 2021 and 2022. He led the country in save percentage in 2021 before earning second team All-American honors in 2022. With his impressive performances came offers to compete against the best players in the country on the biggest stage. That was a tempting offer.

“Playing in the ACC would have been where the best talent was,” Dobson noted. “From a brand perspective, the league, they play the most games on national televised TV, so that stuff would have been a pretty cool opportunity to do.” 

Plus, beyond the exposure and the on-field experience, the facilities for the country’s top programs would’ve been a step up.

“Their equipment rooms are massive,” Dobson noted. “They’ve put a lot of money into those teams to live a luxurious life. That would have been nice.” 

He also felt a pull to return to St. Bonaventure after losing in the MAAC championship game and consequently missing out on an NCAA Tournament berth in his senior season.

Instead, Dobson turned down a few legendary programs and a chance to make a run in May to focus on his professional lacrosse career. 

“I felt like my draft stock was pretty high at that point,” Dobson explained. “I felt like the decision to go pro and play lacrosse was the best bet. … I felt like I wasn't necessarily the biggest school guy. I knew lacrosse was what I wanted to do as a full-time job.”

Aided by the Bonnies’ coaching staff, who acted as agents for him through the draft process, Dobson gathered intel on his draft stock. A number of PLL goalies had retired that offseason, including John Galloway (Chrome), Drew Adams (Archers) and Charlie Cipriano (Waterdogs). Those developments, plus inquisitions from league general managers about his status, spurred Dobson’s confidence. The Archers and Chrome in particular had expressed interest in him, while the Cannons were considering drafting Dobson, as well.

“We knew we were going to take [a goalie],” Archers head coach Chris Bates said. “We wanted to find the best one.”

The Archers rely heavily on the opinions of college coaches in their scouting process. There’s always some baked-in allegiance for coaches to hype up their guys, but Utah likes to hear that perspective and trusts the relationships it has in the coaching world to steer it in the right direction. 

When Bates got on the phone with St. Bonaventure head coach Randy Mearns – who is one of the godfathers of Canadian lacrosse and coached Team Canada to the 2014 FIL World Championship – he heard a practically prophetic message.

“This is your guy,” Mearns told Bates. “This is the guy that’s gonna help win championships, a likely MVP in the league.” 

In the Archers’ scout of Dobson, they saw all the traits they like in a keeper.

Bates described Dobson as “a big body with quick reflexes, good ankles, good anticipation, confidence. [Those are] all things you want in a goalie.” 

Plus, given the onslaught of shots Dobson saw at St. Bonaventure, the Archers were confident he could handle the fast-paced nature of the PLL. In 2022, Dobson led college lacrosse in total saves (252) and finished second in saves per game (16.8) as one of just two keepers to stop more than 14 shots per contest.

“The beauty of a goalie is you can be on a bad team,” Bates added. “It doesn't matter. If you see a lot of rubber and save a lot of rubber, there's almost value to being on a team that plays lesser defense to some degree.”

With Mearns’ endorsement and confidence in Dobson from their scouting report, the Archers knew who they would target as their goalie of the future in the 2022 draft.

“He was our guy,” Bates said. “We felt good about it.”

When the Archers would draft their guy, however, was less clear. They knew they wanted Dobson, and he knew they planned to take him early in the draft. But did that mean in the first round? Maybe the second? There was uncertainty for both player and club.

“There’s the draft game [teams] play of when do you need to take a goalie?” Bates explained. “There’s the risk-reward [element] of waiting.”

“It was pretty nerve-wracking that day,” Dobson said of the draft.

The Archers decided that planning to wait until the second round would allow them to get the most value in the draft.

“We weren't going to take [a goalie] with the first pick,” Bates noted. “We just felt like somebody like Dobber was going to be there with the second [round] pick.”

With the Chrome surprising by taking Logan Wisnauskas first overall on draft night, Matt Moore unexpectedly fell to the Archers at pick No. 4. To Dobson, who’d heard through his coaches that the Archers planned to take him early in the draft, that was a sign that he’d be next.

“Once we took Matt Moore, I had an idea that maybe the second round would be where I'd land,” Dobson said. 

The Chrome were an option to take him at the No. 9 pick, but they doubled down on offense by taking eventual 2022 Rookie of the Year Brendan Nichtern. Three picks later, though, Dobson was proven right, with the Archers picking him 12th overall.

The Cannons then took Colin Kirst 24th overall before the Chrome nabbed Owen McElroy with the No. 25 pick. Both have been starters in the league, with Kirst beginning to push himself into the upper echelon of PLL goalies. The pairing of Dobson with the Archers, however, has been so perfect that it’s reshaped the league’s outlook the past two seasons.

After one year backing up Adam Ghitelman, Dobson has thrived in his two seasons as Utah’s starting keeper, winning back-to-back championships and earning Cash App Championship MVP honors in both 2023 and 2024. The Archers have been blown away by Dobson’s presence in the cage. As a shot-stopper and a leader of the defense, Dobson is unflappable.

“His personality, it's just perfect for that position,” Bates said. “He's upbeat, he's a leader, he's got a commanding presence, but he's also just got a way about him that … he's not stressed, and I think that helps lead a defense.”

After winning the 2023 title, the Archers restructured Dobson’s deal. He’s now signed with Utah through the 2027 season and projects to be one of the faces of professional lacrosse for years to come. That’s an unbelievable outcome just three years into his professional career.

“It's awesome. I'm able to play the game I love and get paid pretty good money to do it,” Dobson said. “I don't regret my decision not fifth-yearing and not going to another school and going straight to the PLL.”