In the moments before one of the final practices before the first game of the season, Southwestern men's lacrosse's Benjamin Libby delivered a speech that worked his teammates into a frenzy. 

The senior from San Antonio, Texas, missed last season while battling cancer. Now cleared to play, he's more than an inspiring story. He's a leader of this Southwestern team. 

"The guys love seeing him out there with his energy and enthusiasm," head coach Bill Bowman said. "The man went through cancer, said it's not going to beat me, then he won. And he did it with the best attitude about it the entire time. It was never if but when. In those two minutes before practice, he got the guys fired up like I've never seen." 

For the Pirates, this season is about getting back their lost season. Before the pandemic hit, Southwestern was off to the best start in program history at 4-0, picking up wins over Hendrix, Birmingham-Southern, Berry, and Centenary. It was a pleasant surprise for Bowman, who expected his young roster to need time to catch its stride. Between the pandemic and Libby's experiences, the team is approaching the season with a new perspective.  

"When you get a season taken away, and you can't play for the better part of a year, every time you get on the field is a blessing and opportunity to enjoy the game you love," Bowman said. "That's how we're looking at it this year." 

Southwestern is led by senior attacker Zac Asbury, who remains on pace to break almost every major statistical offensive category despite losing most of his junior season. With his collegiate career winding down to a close, he'll be looking to cap it off with an impressive season. 

"Having talked to him, I think that's exactly what he wants to do," Bowman said. "He's put his heart and soul into this program. He's grown each year, not only as a player but as a leader of this team. He would have broken a lot of records in a couple more games last season. He's going to have the opportunity to do that now, and he's not taking that lightly." 

On the field, Asbury is a tank that processes everything with the speed of a Formula One race car driver, blending power and athleticism with skill and a high IQ. 

"There are some people who, whatever they do, they just get it. Whatever it is, they just get it. And Zac Asbury gets lacrosse," Bowman said. "He sees it so well; the game has slowed down for him. He has an uncanny ability to get other people to their spots and make them better. The greatest players aren't just great themselves, but they make everyone around them great, and that's the epitome of what Zac Asbury does." 

Asbury is surrounded with more depth than the Pirates have ever had, boasting several highly-skilled, versatile players. 

In Libby's absence, Nick Doxey emerged as an impactful attacker, scoring nine goals with three assists in just four games. 

"Last year, we had a conversation where I told him it was his time and he needed to step up," Bowman said. "Not only did he do it, but he also did it with flying colors. His game has expanded so much, and he's more confident in what he can do." 

Southwestern also found an emerging start in Jacob Hamilton. He was having a breakout season in his junior year with nine goals and an assist after playing behind the program's career goals leader, Kai Knight-Turcan, for two years. 

"It's so interesting because he laid in waiting until Kai Knight-Turcan graduated, and last year was finally the starter," Bowman said. "We didn't know, and I don't know if he knew, how he was going to make the position his. He did nothing but impress. He's not afraid of anything, and he's always where he needs to be. He's one of those guys who is a rock for a solid 60 minutes. For someone who waited for three years, I'm ecstatic he has this opportunity." 

While the attackers get the stats, the strength of the team is in its faceoff and wings. Hudson Bearden returns as a faceoff specialist after splitting time with graduating senior Zane Abbott last season, winning 35 of his 46 opportunities. 

"Hudson is one of the two best faceup guys we've ever had, along with Zane," Bowman said. "I've never seen anyone with his depth of knowledge who works harder at that position. I think he can be top five nationally this year, without a doubt. In the short time, he was here last season, it was obvious he was dominant. If you can't win faceoffs, you're not going to win a game. It's that simple. And he's someone who we're very fortunate to have."

After debuting in 2019 with 19 goals and nine assists in 16 games, Cody Foster scored eight goals with two assists in four last season. The junior is a versatile scorer whose IQ makes for a devastating one-two punch with Asbury. 

"He's one of our most dynamic players. I could probably put a long pole in his hands, and he'd be phenomenal. That's how good he is," Bowman said. "He's one of our best defensive middies and one of our best offensive middies. We could probably even put him at attack; he's so dynamic. He can score, assist, and just understands the game so well. His IQ is very high. When he and Zac are in sync, it's a lot of fun to watch."

The Pirates' long-stick midfielders, Tyler Santos, Aidan Gildea, and Alberto Quinones, help set the tone for the Southwestern transition attack. 

"I think our LSMs are some of the best in Division III. They play great defense and are phenomenal in transition," Bowman said. "They understand the game, and no one outworks them. They control the middle of the field and let us play the way we want to."

And then, there's defensive midfielder Matt Minnick, who Bowman calls the team's unsung hero. 

"He's one of the best middies I've ever seen. The way lacrosse is played today, you can't be successful without guys like him," Bowman said. "He's good enough to start on offense for us, but he loves defense, and I love him for that.  The things he does won't who up in the stat book, but he makes us win, and that's the stat that counts. The transition side of our team is what our strength is; it's what we're good at." 

One of the most significant leaps the team took last year was on defense. Though the team graduated captain Bailey Middleton, the defense was comprised of mostly young, up-and-coming players who should build on last season's start. 

"Our goalies, Alex Melitz and Blair, are filling that leadership void. They're playing outstanding right now, and their leadership and communication have been unbelievable," Bowman said. "And we have some very athletic, physical, good players in Jake Hessinger, James Lilly, Sean Tracy, and Will Thompson. The more they get on the field, the better we're going to be." 

For the past few seasons, the Pirates have been inching closer to Colorado College Tigers, who have owned the SCAC. For Bowman, the most significant piece missing in the matchup was the level of depth he believes the team is finally achieving. 

"We have a lot of young guys who made the most of last year while we're out there," Bowman said. "Guys like Tyler Johnson, Tommy Saueressig, Blake Sitterly, and Jack Carolan all came in and made an immediate impact. They not only increased our depth but the IQ of the team, which presents a lot of different looks we can throw at defenses."

After a lost season, Southwestern is fired up to continue the program's growth of the past few years. 

"This year is about the guys getting back the lost season that was taken away from them," Bowman said. "It's about making sure it's an experience they'll remember."