CLARKSVILLE, TN (CLARKSVILLE NOW) – The Austin Peay women’s lacrosse team just wrapped up its inaugural season. Launching a program from scratch is no easy task, especially in today’s world of the transfer portal and NIL.
However, head coach Melissa Rausch was up to the task. Before the season began, Rausch explained that her team would play a “fun, fast-paced” style of lacrosse, and they definitely accomplished that mission. The team won its first-ever game back in February, taking down Gardner-Webb by a score of 15-14. The team then went on to three more games during the season, and the hope is that a standard is being established.
Rausch’s hard work leads to results
Any coach’s first year in any sport is filled with challenges. Those are only amplified when it’s the first season in program history. However, it didn’t take long for Rausch to start seeing the results of her hard work.
“When I first got hired in 2024, I think I had 300 days of that first year on the road,” Rausch told Clarksville Now. “It was a hard year, but when we scored that first goal, I just felt like ‘OK, this is going to work out. We’re going to be OK.'”
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Defeating Gardner-Webb was the best start the team could have hoped for. That wasn’t the only high point, either. The Govs went on to win three of their first four games, which is an incredible accomplishment considering the youth of the program.
“We learned that any team can compete with anybody,” said Rausch. “When our team was healthy, we had a 4-2 record. We had some great people who were a part of this, and they never stopped fighting.”
The Govs finished with a 4-13 overall record, but that doesn’t tell the full story. As Rausch mentioned, the team suffered a series of injuries that decimated its roster as the season progressed. As a result, the Govs had to almost exclusively rely on freshmen, while other teams had experienced squads. The coach mentioned that towards the end of the season, there was usually only one non-freshman on the field.
What’s next for Austin Peay Lacrosse?
The first season was a proof of concept for Rausch. Now, the coach knows what needs to happen to take the next step in 2027. Rausch mentioned that the team is seeking experienced players in the transfer portal.
“We need experienced people to help us. We’re looking for three to five players in the portal,” said the coach. “On the other hand, we are retaining our key pieces. There are no transfer surprises.”
Every college coach has to contend with the transfer portal, but it’s a good sign that Rausch doesn’t expect to lose any key contributors. It’s not hard to imagine this team taking a step forward next season after another year of growth.
“Next season, we’re going to be stronger, faster, fiercer, the coach said. “There are going to be fewer mistakes and more goals. The future is incredibly bright for this program.”
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