A new competition has sparked between unexpected rivals: the Cal High men’s and women’s lacrosse teams.

The men’s record was 3-4 in league and 14-9 overall, and the women’s record is 5-2 in league and 16-4 overall , which should have some indication of which team is better, however, the boys still question it.

As a part of the women’s team myself, it’s clear to me which team stands out. But the differences in the game raise legitimate questions.

For those who are relatively unfamiliar with the sport, men’s and women’s lacrosse are very different from one another. For one, the fields are arranged differently. Men and women use distinct gear, which includes sticks, balls, and protective gear. There is very little they have in common.  Actually, some don’t even consider them the same sport.

There are many different criterias that one could evaluate to determine which sport is “better”. One criteria could be which team does better during their season. Some other forms of criteria are which team is more entertaining to watch, the level of physicality, and the level of difficulty.

As far as which team’s record is better, women’s lacrosse takes that victory. Score: Women 1, Men 0.

Accoording to Maxpreps.com, the men’s team is ranked 51st in the state and 409th nationally, and the women’s fourth in the state and 36th nationally.

Entertainment value is more difficult to judge. In terms of speed of the game, they are relatively equal. Lacrosse in general is considered “the fastest game on two feet” by players everywhere. Often times, skill level goes into the assessment of entertainment value. The better the team, the more fun the game is to watch.

The level of physicality is kind of given. This point goes to the men. Women lacrosse players often refer to the men’s game as “football with sticks.” Their rules allow for much more physical contact than women’s rules do. Men wear what seems like minimal gear for how physical the game is. Women wear even less.

Men’s protective gear includes shoulder/chest pads, elbow pads, gloves, mouth guards and a helmet. Women wear only eye goggles and mouth guards.

A common misconception is that women’s lacrosse is a non-contact sport. Although it has far less contact than men’s, it is just as physical and rough as any other field sport.

In terms of which sport is more difficult, many people argue that women’s lacrosse requires more finesse and strategy, while men’s lacrosse requires more physical strength and grit.

Men’s sticks have deeper pockets, which draws controversy from the pro-women side because it is easier to catch and handle the ball.

But men’s rules allow more physical contact from the opponent than women’s, and therefore with extra pressure it can be just as difficult to handle as the women’s with their shallower pockets.

Strategically, I’d say that women’s lacrosse requires more skill and ball handling skills. Another point for the women’s team.

Final score: Women 3, Men 1.

Both lacrosse teams at Cal have been debating which is better all season and working hard to prove one another wrong. A challenge was issued at the beginning of the season for which team will do better.

I’d say the rivalry helped drive both teams to be better and reach the NCS playoffs. Competing in NCS is a huge accomplishment. This is the first time in three years that the men competed in NCS, and the ninth consecutive year the women competed.

The women also advanced to the semis again, playing last night against top-seed Amador.