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

The Crusaders (6-9 overall, 4-6 MAC) return 16 letterwinners and four members of the starting lineup from last year's squad, which finished seventh in the conference.

Head coach Gordon Galloway begins his second season needing to replace his top four goal scorers from last season, with sophomore Ryan Walters leading the returnees with 13 goals and six assists for 19 points last season.

Widener was the overwhelming favorite to earn the conference championship as the Pioneers received the maximum of 10 first-place votes to sit atop the poll with 100 points, followed by Messiah, FDU-Florham, Elizabethtown, Lycoming, Drew, Susquehanna, King's, Moravian, DeSales and Scranton.

Susquehanna opens its 2006 season on Wednesday, March 8 against Clark in Orlando, Florida, and begins its home schedule on Wednesday, March 15 against perennial national power Gettysburg.