Riverhawks Men’s Lacrosse got safer helmets for this spring season.

Men’s Lacrossse head coach Joe Stanilaus said the Athletic Department buys new helmets every two years to stay up to date with the safest equipment.

“After two years it gets a little risky, so we wanted to make sure that we kept up with the most current thing,” Stanilaus said, “because protecting your head is very important.”

AACC’s lacrosse helmets are made by Cascade, a company that designs helmets specifically for lacrosse players. The Riverhawks upgraded this season from the Cascade R helmet, to the newest model, the Cascade S.

Stanilaus said the team has been wearing Cascade helmets since he has been coaching at AACC. He called Cascade “a very trustworthy brand that the players love.”

Jordan Brown, a first-year computer science student who plays defensive midfielder, said he likes his Cascade S helmet because he can adjust it better than the outdated model.

Brown said he had “kind of gotten used to [the older helmets] because I used them for so long.”

However, Brown and his teammate Caden Cote, an offensive midfielder, said they like the new helmets because they’re lighter.

“[Cascade] took a lot of the inside [padding] out so it’s lighter on the sides,” Cote, a first-year business student, said.

Cote said the helmets come with three interchangeable pads, making them easy to adjust and increasing protection and comfort.

Men’s Lacrosse kicked off its season at home versus Onondaga Community College on Feb. 23 with a 16-6 loss.