The top teams in Division II men’s lacrosse will meet this weekend in Upstate New York. No. 1 Merrimack will travel to meet No. 2 Le Moyne in the most anticipated Division II men's lacrosse game of the season.

The defending national runners-up pitted against the team it eliminated in the NCAA tournament last season. Both teams are preparing like this weekend is the same as any other, but it’s tough to ignore the significance of this game.

When Merrimack coach Mike Morgan and Le Moyne coach Dan Sheehan hit the field with their teams Saturday afternoon, the two coaches will share a bond that expands beyond the game. 

Both Morgan and Sheehan will bring with them a bead as part of the Carry A Bead program — which helps athletes and figures around the world give back to children fighting cancer and other life-altering diseases.

The Carry A Bead initiative, part of the Beads of Courage Program, was brought to Upstate New York three years ago, and has since expanded to professional teams and colleges around the area. Susan Bertrand, President & Founder of Maureen’s Hope Foundation — which help those with cancer and other diseases — brought Beads of Courage to Golisano Children’s Hospital in Syracuse over nine years ago.

Now, the program has reached the top programs in Divison II lacrosse. Even in the midst of what could be the biggest game of the season, a reminder that there’s more to life than sports.

“We jumped at [the idea] because here’s a great organization and everything it stands for, and having Le Moyne as a co-partner for this game, it adds a little more power to it,” Morgan said. “It shows that we can put the rivalry aside for something bigger than us and lacrosse.”

“There’s a lot more than the wins and losses that go on the field,” Sheehan said. “Our responsibility as coaches to have an impact on people’s lives in other ways than just a game on Saturday is really important.”

In the Beads of Courage program, children undergoing treatment are first given a leather cord with beads that spell their name. Then, they are given a bead for every treatment (chemotherapy, radiation, etc.) they complete to serve as a reminder of their perserverance.

“It gives them an opportunity to record, share or tell their story,” Susan Bertrand said.

Beads of Courage has reached nine hospitals in New York and over 240 around the world. In total, 60,000 children are involved in the program.

From Beads of Courage spawned the Carry A Bead program, which Bertrand began promoting in 2015. She reached out to teams like the Syracuse Crunch of the American Hockey League, who jumped at the opportunity to give back. 

Bertrand also got the Washington Nationals' minor league affiliate Syracuse Chiefs, as well as the Syracuse men's basketball team into the Carry A Bead initiative. Through Carry A Bead, players wore a bead with them during practice, then sent the bead along with a hand-written note detailing what inspires and strengthens them to children in the hospital. In return, players received beads to keep as a reminder of those that are fighting for their lives at the hospital.

“The opportunities are endless to get teams involved,” she said. “It’s really just spreading awareness and getting word out there about the program. The Carry A Bead program is such a simple way for athletes to share their personal strength, positivity and encouragement with a child in the hospital.”

Last year, Bertrand and Le Moyne baseball player Jack Sheridan presented Carry A Bead to the entire athletic department. Sheridan, an Acute lymphoblastic leukemia survivor himself, had finished treatments and joined the Dolphins baseball team in the fall of 2017.

Sheridan had originally balked at joining the Beads of Courage program when he was diagnosed in 2014, but realized later on the impact that it could have on children battling diseases.

“It completely changes their day,” Sheridan said of the impact the beads can have on children. “A lot of them are going through tough things with treatment and going to the hospital all the time. Little things that make people feel like they’re thinking and caring about them makes all the difference in the world.”

After hearing from Sheridan and Bertrand in the fall, Sheehan was sold and made sure his team got involved. Le Moyne wore the beads in a fall practice.

“Our guys really enjoyed being part of the program,” Sheehan said. “It was a very spirited practice the day that we wore the beads to practice. They are fully aware of the impact that this could have on a child that’s going through a really tough time.”

Getting Merrimack involved wasn’t a difficult task, either. Bertrand’s son, Charlie, is a star attackman for the Warriors. He had been familiar with the Carry A Bead program since its inception, and had participated in it when he played at Baldwinsville High School. 

As a member of Merrimack’s leadership council, Bertrand pitched the idea of participating in Carry A Bead before the Le Moyne game. Morgan and the captains pledged their full support, and Merrimack was in.

Bertrand and Morgan presented the Carry A Bead program to the full team before practice on Thursday. The players wore their beads at practice, as NCAA regulations prohibit them from wearing them this weekend.

“They were excited,” Morgan said of his team. “It’s something that puts things in perspective. Whether they’re banged up or they got a bad grade or whatever it is, and then Thursday they’re wearing a bead that in a month will be on the bracelet of a kid that just got out of surgery.”

Merrimack and Le Moyne will take the field at 1 p.m. on Saturday, looking to prove which team is the best in Division II. It’s a big game by any standards, but the teams know they’re doing something beyond lacrosse.

“It’s very impactful,” Susan Bertrand said of Carry A Bead. “You don’t always have to have a million dollars to make a difference in the world. Something as simple as this can really make an impact.”