Jack Archer's seven goals make loud statement for Garden City lacrosse

After suffering a serious knee injury while playing football last April, Garden City’s Jack Archer knew his journey back to the lacrosse field this season would be an arduous one.

But in only his second game back on Tuesday afternoon, he made quite a statement to the competition during a matchup of defending champions.

The junior followed up his quality season-opening performance of three goals and two assists on March 24 with a dazzling seven-goal display in Garden City’s 11-3 non-league victory over Syosset at home.

Garden City won the Long Island Class B championship last season, and Syosset won the Class A county title before falling to Northport by one in the Long Island championship.

“It’s really nice to see how all the work I put in over the summer and last spring has really paid off now,” said Archer, who tore his ACL in a football game against Sewanhaka on April 3, 2020. “It feels really good.”

The two sides entered halftime tied at 1, but Garden City (2-0) exited the locker room with a seven-goal flurry in the third quarter. Archer provided the spark, netting five of six unanswered goals to put the Trojans ahead 7-1 with 3:17 remaining in the period.

Garden City took an 8-2 lead into the fourth before closing the win, as Syosset fell to 0-2.

Luke Schmitt added two goals and Mike Fargione tacked on one goal and one assist for the Trojans.

“Jack put us on his back a little bit and shot the ball fantastically,” Garden City coach Steve Finnell said. “He’s super athletic…Not too many guys score seven goals in a big-time game like this so he’s pretty unique.

“He did a great job of rehabbing. He’s outstanding and I think that no one outside our program really knows that yet.”