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

The Crusaders earned their first MAC playoff appearance in program history last season as they finished fifth with a 6-4 league record and 8-8 overall, and first-year head coach Ryan Gast will look to a group of 19 returning letterwinners and 14 freshmen in pursuit of a second straight postseason berth in 2007.

The Crusaders return their top two scorers from last season in juniors BJ Allen (20 goals, 16 assists, 36 points) and Ryan Walters (27 goals, 7 assists, 34 points), along with junior Tim Storck (18 goals).

Defending MAC champion Widener received seven first-place votes and 97 points to earn the top spot in the poll, followed by Messiah (four first-place votes, 93 points), FDU-Florham (77 points), Elizabethtown (66 points), Drew (62 points), Lycoming (45 points), King's (37 points), Scranton (36 points), Susquehanna (35 points), Moravian (26 points) and DeSales (19 points).