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

The Crusaders are coming off the best season in program history, in which the squad went 14-5-1 overall and 5-1-1 in the conference to finish in second place and advanced to the Commonwealth Conference finals for the second time in three years before falling to Messiah.

Head coach Jim Findlay, who was named conference Coach of the Year for the second time in three seasons in 2004, begins his seventh season with six starters back from last year's team, including senior Alecia Gold (Turbotville, PA/Warrior Run) who scored seven goals and finished with 18 points to rank third on the team in both categories in 2004.

Messiah, which advanced to the Division III Final Four last season and is ranked fourth in the preseason Top 25 coaches poll, received seven first-place votes to earn the top spot in the poll, followed by Susquehanna, Elizabethtown, Moravian, Lebanon Valley, Albright, Widener and Juniata.

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 Women's Soccer tournament.

The Crusaders open the 2005 season on Friday, Sept. 2 against Alfred in the opening round of the Susquehanna Labor Day Classic, and begin Commonwealth Conference play on Wednesday, Sept. 28 at Juniata.