SELINSGROVE, Pa. – The Susquehanna University women's lacrosse team has been picked to finish fourth in the Middle Atlantic Conference preseason coaches' poll, the conference office announced Wednesday.

The Crusaders (6-10 overall, 6-4 MAC) return 11 letterwinners and nine starters from last year's squad, which finished in fifth place in the conference last season for the second straight year.

Third-year head coach Kate Scattergood will rely on a strong freshman class to complement top returnees Chrissy Carfello (school-record 53 goals), Kristen Reineke (26 goals, 57 caused turnovers) and Abby Goss (10.43 goals against average, .463 save percentage).

Defending MAC champion Scranton received four first-place votes to edge out Messiah (4 firsts) and Drew (3 firsts) by one point for the top spot in the poll. Following Susquehanna in the rankings are Widener, FDU-Florham, Elizabethtown, King's, Moravian, Lycoming and Wilkes.

Susquehanna opens its 2005 season on Tuesday, March 2 at Goucher and begins its home schedule on Thursday, March 4 against Dickinson in the first game on the team's new Sassafras Field.