by Jac Coyne | MCLA.us

LA CROSSE, Wis. – When UC Davis visits Cal on Saturday, it will mean very little in the grand scheme of things.

It’s an inter-divisional friendly that will essentially have no impact on the designs of two teams expected to be in Round Rock on May 9 in their respective division.

At the start of any other season, this contest would barely warrant a mention.

At the start of 2022, this game has the weight of something that is very difficult to put into words.

When the whistle blows at 2 p.m. local in Berkeley, two teams that have been cooped up and idle for the better part of two years will get a chance to unleash over 600 days of lacrosse frustration

“One of our captains, Brendan Cook, mentioned Monday night how this is our first game-week in two years,” said Cal coach Ned Webster. “I think it hit all of us how lucky and thankful we are to play the game we love and compete against someone other than ourselves. I think by Saturday at 1:59 p.m., the excitement will be just completely out of hand.”

“Saturday should bring some normalcy back into their routines that's been missing the past two years,” added UC Davis coach Frank Resetarits. “They've worked so hard and been through so many ups and downs that when that first whistle blows, they'll know all that hard work was worth it.”

As we’re all well aware, different parts of the country have handled our collective adversity in various ways. History will sort out what the right approach was, but there is no question the MCLA’s California institutions were held to a very strict protocol.

While there were eight teams that managed to find the wherewithal to compete in the Invitational last spring, much of the country was not afforded that luxury.

Fortunately, we’ve all found our way through to the other side, but there were lacrosse casualties that should never be forgotten.

The MCLA granted two years of redshirts for those eligible in 2020 and 2021, but the college experience is not an open-ended affair. And it ain’t cheap. Predictably, many of our players had to shelve their lacrosse careers to start the rest of their life’s journey.

That will always hurt.

“It was really hard to see,” said Resetarits. “We had the most impactful single class in program history not get a chance to finish writing their story. Those guys built the foundation that allowed us to be able to weather the storm and come out in an OK position. The passion those guys had for this program still shows up every day. Even though they graduated, their influence will be a big part of our season.”

“It's really sad to think about, honestly,” said Webster. “Not only did we have really solid, high-caliber teams, but the biggest loss is the hundreds of little daily exchanges and connections with your teammates.

“You only play college sports for a limited time, and a big chunk has been taken away from them. I just hope our graduates cherish the moments they did have together. And for our returners, the moments that await.”

A lot of those alums will undoubtedly be waiting for the outcome of Saturday’s game.

Not for the final score or NorCal bragging rights. Just the comfort from knowing that their former brothers are back on the field and finishing games – a concept that has been gone for far too long.

When that first faceoff does come, the coaches will be as thrilled as the players.

“I hope to see joy and passion,” said Webster of the game's beginning. “It's January lacrosse, so mistakes will happen, but let's make them going full speed with focused minds and maximum effort so we can feel proud when the final whistle blows.”

“I want to see our guys compete every whistle and play hard,” added Resetarits. “It's not often you get to play a team of Cal's caliber in a historic stadium in beautiful weather like it looks like we're going to have. Our guys are working extremely hard and excited for the chance to compete at such a high level.”

It’s been too damn long, but normal is going to feel great.