There’s a hole that can’t be filled. Two, actually.

They gape across the locker room, where a pair of helmets and pads remain on shelves. And over on the sideline, where the pile of extra sticks is two short its normal amount. And on the bench, where the number of reserves have been trimmed.

The holes appeared Sept. 5, and have followed the Marquette men’s lacrosse team’s every waking moment since. Every workout, practice, film review, fall scrimmage and preseason exhibition, they have existed. It was no different on Saturday, when Marquette opened its 2026 season against No. 20 Michigan.

It was the program’s first actual game since Scott Michaud and Noah Snyder died in a car crash, five months and one day since the accident.

“I just know those guys are looking down,” sophomore long stick man Brady Nicholas said. “Cheering for us and rooting for us, and hopefully we can make them proud throughout this year.”

Even though the two former Golden Eagles were not physically inside the Valley Fields dome, tributes kept the late sophomores in the forefront of the minds of everyone who was. Their earthly lives ended at the intersection of 27th Street and St. Paul Avenue, but they continue to exist in the team they would be playing for.

Like on the Golden Eagles’ jerseys, where a patch with their numbers, helmets and initials is stitched onto the right shoulders. And the backs of their helmets, where players display a variety of stickers for both of their fallen teammates. Not to mention the fronts of helmets as well, where straps with their numbers and angel wings wrap around the bottom of cages.

“Anything we can do to help the community remember those guys,” Nicholas said. “We just want people to remember them and how great those guys were. They’re all brothers to us.”

The sophomores remained on those not playing, too.

Anyone injured wore a long sleeve shirt with the same visual as the jersey patches. Defensive coordinator Will Roberts donned a sweatshirt with the goalkeeper Michaud’s No. 88 in large numbers on the front and a black pin on his shoulder. Assistant coach Mason Woodward chose the t-shirt with a lacrosse stick splitting Michaud and Snyder’s numbers.

Head coach Jake Richard was covered head to toe in tributes — literally. His sweatshirt had the attacker Snyder’s No. 43. The bracelet on his right wrist had both players’ initials. On his feet was a special pair of shoes with the two players’ names and outlines, their numbers still distinguishable despite the many green turf flakes covering the leather.

Even two blue plastic chairs bore Michaud and Snyder’s likeness. To the right of the bench, draped over seats, both of their jerseys faced the field, the Nos. 43 & 88 visible to everyone inside the dome.

Both uniforms made and will continue to make the same journey from the locker room to the field every game this year, exactly like they would if their owners put them on. From the pregame walk-out to the anthem to then being on the sidelines, Michaud and Snyder will always be with the team.

Saturday morning, Nicholas carried Michaud’s jersey while Matt Hamill held his fellow attacker Snyder’s. The two jerseybearers led Marquette’s walk-out and held the uniforms during the anthem and moment of silence.

“First game back without those guys. It means a lot to just be able to have their jerseys with us,” Hamill said. “Pretty emotional, but overall good to have.”

“We want people to remember them,” Nicholas added, “so anything little like that means the world to us.”

As the rest of the roster formed a ring, Nicholas and Hamill stood in the center, proudly displaying Snyder and Michaud’s jerseys for the entire moment of silence. Then the two went to the chairs, lay both jerseys over them and picked up their gloves and sticks.

It was time to honor Snyder and Michaud in the best way possible: by playing the game they loved most.

“It was definitely hard for all of us, for sure, but we know we have a job to do,” Hamill said. “And this would make those guys proud.”

This story was written by Jack Albright. He can be reached at [email protected] and on Twitter/X @JackAlbrightMU.