The Cougar men’s lacrosse team is gearing up for another season in the Old Dominion Athletic Conference. Coming off of a less than desirable year, the Cougars are going to have their eyes set on a turnaround season. 

“This group is special,” Brian Habick, the men’s head lacrosse coach, said. “The community is the biggest piece.”

The program is 10 years old and has already seen so much change including changing conferences and even getting a new head coach. There have been a lot of moving pieces, but Averett has been a welcoming host for them all. Without the continued support from the school and its community on campus, the hope and life in the program wouldn’t be where it is today.

“(We have been) growing from one coach to another,” Anthony Munoz, the assistant men’s lacrosse coach, said. 

Being in the second year under a new head coach, those points are important to note for multiple reasons. Building off the foundation created while utilizing the new personnel has set them up for a historic year. 

“Watching the guys grow has been the most exciting part,” Jed Paige, the assistant coach, said.  

Despite the turbulence the Cougars have experienced, Averett still has its appeals and perks. 

“The past struggles have made it attractive and made it a very interesting first few months,” Paige said. 

With the team having faced adverse seasons in the past and a looming uphill climb, the focus for this year’s team is to stay within themselves and block out the noise. 

“The guys are pretty close knit and enjoy hanging out with each other. If we want to be able to do anything this season we’re going to have to remain a unit,” Paige said. 

The comradery of the team and their focus on each other will be what helps bring them to new highs of success that the program has never seen before. 

 The Cougars started off their 2025 campaign Feb. 9 with a 14-6 win over Brevard College. You can find the rest of their schedule online at averettcougars.com.