SELINSGROVE, PA - The Susquehanna University field hockey team brings high expectations into its 2006 season, which begins Saturday, September 2 at Alvernia.

The Crusaders, who finished 10-9 overall and in second place in the Commonwealth Conference with a 5-2 record in 2005, welcome back five starters and 15 letterwinners in 2006 for first-year head coach Amy Cohen, who takes over after serving as an assistant coach for the last four seasons at the University of Delaware. Serving as Cohen's assistant is Carly Campana, a former Blue Hen standout midfielder who was selected to the North/South Senior All-Star game in 2005.

Up front, sophomores Maggie Kramer and Kristen Epting will move into the starting lineup and will be joined by freshman Courtney Salsman.

Kramer (Royersford, PA/Villa Maria Academy) came off the bench in 11 games as a freshman and tallied three goals on just eight shots, while Epting (Hamburg, PA/Hamburg) fired home a pair of goals and dished out two assists last season.

Salsman (Selinsgrove, PA/Selinsgrove) and fellow freshman Andrea Fiori (West Trenton, NJ/Lawrenceville School) are each expected to play key roles on attack as well.

The midfield is anchored by senior Margaret Young and junior Megan Sites. Young (Macungie, PA/Emmaus) started all 19 games last season and scored a goal with four assists for five points while Sites (Loysville, PA/West Perry) contributed two goals and an assist in 17 starts.

Young has nine goals and seven assists for 25 points in 53 career games while Sites has seven goals and five assists for 19 points in 36 contests.

Also expected to contribute in the midfield are seniors Ashley Rowell (Wilmington, DE/Concord) and Emily Valko (Perrineville, NJ/Allentown) and junior Becki Nash (Glen Rock, PA/Lancaster Mennonite). Rowell and Nash each came off the bench last season to score three goals for the Crusaders.

A trio of freshmen will vie for time at the midfield as well – Michaela Barnes (Brookside, NJ/Mendham), Katie Connors (Laflin, PA/Pittston Area) and Becky DeFazio (Westfield, NJ/Westfield).

A revamped defense is anchored by a pair of former attackers who have moved to sweeper, in senior co-captains Jenni Iacovone and Katie Gallagher.

Iacovone (Woodstown, NJ/Woodstown) was the Crusaders' leading scorer in 2005 with five goals and an assist for 11 points, while Gallagher (Riverton, NJ/Holy Cross) added two goals and four assists for eight points.

Also on defense, junior Christine Ottley (West Chester, PA/Unionville) is joined by a pair of first-year starters in junior Julie Yingling (Gettysburg, PA/Gettysburg) and sophomore Jenelle Anthony (Saylorsburg, PA/Stroudsburg).

Senior Megan Yuppa (Fairfield, NJ/West Essex Regional) also provides depth on defense after appearing in 13 games with seven starts in 2005.

In goal, sophomore Lyndsay Meabon (Dillsburg, PA/Northern) takes over as the starter after compiling a 2-3 record and a 1.68 goals against average in eight games (333 minutes) last season. She is backed up by junior Jess Weiss (Huntingdon Valley, PA/William Tennent), who did not allow a goal in 90 minutes while making four saves last season.