SELINSGROVE, PA – The Susquehanna University field hockey team has earned an at-large bid to the 2002 NCAA Division III Field Hockey Championships, the NCAA announced Sunday night.

Susquehanna (17-3), ranked seventh in the latest National Field Hockey Coaches Association poll, will travel to Skidmore College and battle fourth-ranked College of New Jersey (11-2) in second-round action on Saturday. The sixth-ranked host Thoroughbreds (17-2), a national semifinalist in 2001, will play the winner of Wednesday’s play-in game between Wellesley and Eastern in Saturday’s other game.

The winners of Saturday’s games will meet Sunday for the right to advance to the Division III Final Four at Springfield College on November 23-24. A total of 18 teams qualified for the tournament field, with Messiah, Salisbury and Rowan also hosting regional action this weekend.

Ironically, Susquehanna’s last NCAA tournament game was played at Skidmore in 1999 when the Crusaders lost 3-2 to the host Thoroughbreds in the second round after defeating Gwynedd-Mercy 6-1 in a first-round game. The Crusaders’ other NCAA playoff appearance came in 1993 when Susquehanna lost to Ithaca 2-1.