SELINSGROVE, Pa. - The Susquehanna University field hockey team has been picked to finish fourth in the Commonwealth Conference during the upcoming season, according to the league's eight head coaches.

The Crusaders finished 8-9 overall in 2004 and placed fifth in the conference with a 3-4 league record, with three of the league losses coming to teams ranked 13th or better in the final National Field Hockey Coaches Association (NFHCA) Division III poll.

Head coach Amy Zimmerman begins her third season at her alma mater with 10 starters and 21 letterwinners returning from last year's team, including junior Jenni Iacovone who led the team in scoring with seven goals in 2004, and junior Shannon Baker who started all 17 games in goal and compiled a 1.67 goals against average with five shutouts.

Messiah, which won the Commonwealth Conference championship and advanced to the Division III Final Four last season, shares the top spot in the coaches poll with Lebanon Valley, the reigning ECAC Mid-Atlantic Region champions. Juniata, Susquehanna, Widener, Elizabethtown, Moravian and Albright round out the poll.

The top four teams in the standings will compete in the conference playoffs for the league title and an automatic berth in the NCAA Division III Field Hockey tournament.

The Crusaders open the 2005 season on Thursday, Sept. 1 against Wilkes at Sassafras Field, and begin Commonwealth Conference play on Thursday, Sept. 15 at Moravian.