It was a civil war — on Central Oregon soil.

The University of Oregon and Oregon State University club lacrosse teams met at Summit High School on Saturday in a fall-season scrimmage.

The two teams agreed to make the trip to the High Desert to help promote lacrosse in the area. And as University of Oregon coach John Wright said jokingly, “We wanted to make sure that Bend knew who the best team was.”

Spearheading the event was Bigfoot Lacrosse Oregon, a Portland-based lacrosse merchandise company that sells lacrosse equipment throughout the state.

UO beat Oregon State 17-5, as both teams are just starting their fall seasons.

“Our first practice was last Thursday, after we had two rounds of cuts,” Wright said. “So we were very happy that we were able to put this together after only seven practices.”

Wright grew up in Greensboro, N.C., watching top Division I college lacrosse programs like North Carolina, Virginia and Duke. He has carried his passion for the sport into his coaching.

“We thought that it would be a good opportunity to spread the game,” said Wright. “We are trying to grow it a little more outside the valley.”

Wright said he hoped that exposure to Central Oregon would help build UO’s lacrosse program.

“They need to have the program here about three more years before the players will have enough experience to be able to play on our team,” noted Wright. “It’s obvious that the game is growing large here. If that trend continues, I’d imagine that we would see some Bend players out in two or three years, which would be great.”

Several area high school lacrosse players were on hand Saturday, learning a thing or two from the college players.

“I’ve gone to camps at the University of Oregon,” said Jack Gerlicher, a junior lacrosse player at Bend High School. “And we have been watching these teams and they have been helping the growth of lacrosse. They show us what we should do and are making us better players — both by playing with them and just watching them.”

“Lacrosse has only been in this town for like five years,” added Colton Raichl, a Bend High sophomore lacrosse player. “And in that span it’s grown to almost one of the major sports in town. Which is great, because it’s my favorite.”

Spectators were out in droves. Some just wanted to witness a live lacrosse game, others were interested in seeing Summit’s new field and track, and still others were supporting the college players.

“I think it’s great that they came over to Bend to play,” said Eugene’s Diane Musgrove. “It’s a nice field.”

Diane was watching her son Nick Musgrove of Oregon.

“Even though they are a club sport, they work just as hard as if it were a sanctioned sport — you know, Pac-10 football or soccer. And that’s going to help get (lacrosse) sanctioned someday.”

Preceding the game between the Ducks and the Beavers was a youth lacrosse clinic that drew approximately 75 players, according to Summit lacrosse coach Steve Hansmann.

“Players from both teams (OSU and UO) ran the clinic and the kids had a great time,” said Hansmann. “That’s the kind of exposure we were looking for. And it’s fundraiser for our program also.”

According to Hansmann, Summit plans to host a college tournament next fall.

“It was an opportunity to showcase the higher caliber of teams for the high school kids,” said OSU lacrosse coach Alex Tillson. “Before this game there was a clinic with a bunch of grade school and high school kids. We had the opportunity to use what these guys know and what I know to help them improve. It was outreach as much as anything.”

Most of the players, coaches and spectators shared one thing in common Saturday, and that was the love of lacrosse.

“I was hooked immediately, that became clear within about an hour,” Tillson said of the first time he watched lacrosse being played.

“It’s the combination of unbridled brutality and finesse.”