ANNVILLE, PA – The Susquehanna University women’s lacrosse team has been picked to finish second in the Middle Atlantic Conference annual coaches’ poll, as selected by the league’s nine head coaches.

Drew, which has won nine consecutive conference championships – including a 10-9 triple-overtime win over Susquehanna last season – earned five first-place votes and 77 points to edge the Crusaders for the top spot. Susquehanna received the other four first-place votes and 74 points.

The Crusaders, under first-year head coach Deb Ranieri, return two first-team MAC All-Stars in senior attack Krista O’Brien and junior goalie Giulia Umile, along with second-team selections Katie Sonnefeld on attack and Kristin Calabree at defense.

Susquehanna, which opened the 2002 season with a 17-5 win at Dickinson on Tuesday afternoon, kicks off its MAC schedule on Saturday with a 1 p.m. game at Scranton. The Lady Royals were picked third in the poll, followed by Widener, Messiah, Lycoming, FDU-Madison, King’s, and first-year program Elizabethtown.