While the Emmaus and Parkland soccer teams were battling against each other in their two regular season games this season, they were also playing on the same team in helping raise money and awareness for cancer research.

More specifically, the two teams were helping 2011 Emmaus grad Andrew Schaefer, who is fighting Hodgkin's Lymphoma. Schaefer has somewhat of a bond to both teams, since he played under both Emmaus coach John Cari and Parkland coach Patrick Birns when the two were on the same staff at Emmaus.

"He's a great kid and I hate to see the kid going through what he has to," said Cari. "I'm 100-percent supportive and glad to see everybody on board. We're rivals, but Parkland jumped on board and we would do it for them."

At both of the regular season games, donations were taken to benefit Red Card Cancer, an organization dedicated to raising money for cancer research. Frey Smile Orthodontics also contributed to the cause, donating identical lime green shirts to each team for the players to wear during warm-ups, signifying the two teams coming together as one to join the cause.

Emmaus won a 1-0 battle earlier in the season that was played on their home turf and Parkland won a 1-0 battle last Friday that was played on their home field.

Both Cari and Birns have been touched by the struggles that their former player has had to go through and both spoke highly of just how hard Schaefer has had to fight to battle the disease. There were large crowds at both games and donations were accepted from fans throughout the game. Schaefer was diagnosed with Hodgkin's Lymphoma in December 2012.

The two teams conduct fundraisers at their games against each other every season, but for Cari, this one was a little more poignant, since it benefits a former player.

"It becomes more tangible, more real, absolutely," said Cari.