LOCK HAVEN, Pa. - The Bloomsburg University women's lacrosse team has been picked to finish ninth according to the annual Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) preseason coaches' poll released on Friday afternoon.

West Chester received eight of the thirteen first-place votes and was picked to win the league in 2017. The defending conference champions, Mercyhurst, was predicted to finish second after receiving three first-place nods. IUP and Lock Haven each received one first-place vote and were tabbed to finish third and fourth respectively. East Stroudsburg rounded out the top five.

Seton Hill, Millersville, Slippery Rock, Bloomsburg, and Gannon occupied spots six through ten while Edinboro, Kutztown, and Shippensburg rounded out the coaches' preseason selections.

The Huskies finished with a 4-11 overall record a year ago and won only two of their twelve games against league opponents under head coach Shannon Hertz, who will be entering her third season in 2017.

Senior Brigid Kyne (Broomall, Pa./Marple Newtown) returns for her final season in a Huskies' uniform after earning All-PSAC Third Team accolades a year ago. It was the third consecutive season that Kyne was honored with a postseason award from the league after earning spots on the All-PSAC Second Team in each of her first two seasons. Kyne led the Huskies with 28 goals a year ago and scored her 100th career goal with a second-half tally at Kutztown last April 20. She became the 14th player in school history to accomplish the feat.

In her first three seasons, Kyne has amassed 100 goals and 30 assists for 130 points and ranks 15th on the school's all-time list in scoring.

Expected to help Kyne offensively are junior Taylor Turner (Corning, N.Y./Corning West), sophomore Hannah Jaskuta (Gilbertsville, Pa./Boyertown Area), and senior Kate Shea (Mullica Hill, N.J./Clearview Regional).

Turner led the Huskies in scoring last season with 11 goals and 27 assists for 38 points - two points ahead of Kyne's 36. The junior has totaled 61 points in her first two seasons. Jaskuta had a strong rookie campaign last season as she finished with 22 goals and five assists for 27 points to end up third on the team in scoring. Shea, meanwhile, was fourth with 18 goals and seven assists for 25 points as she enjoyed a breakout junior season.

Sophomore Lindsey Coyle (Cherry Hill, N.J./Cherry Hill West) (19 points), junior Tracy Rusen (Martinsville, N.J./Bridgewater-Raritan) (18 points), and senior Nikki Fisher (Warminster, Pa./Gwynedd Mercy Academy ) (17 points) also finished in double figures in scoring last year and all return to the roster this season.

One unknown on this year's squad is in net. The Huskies will turn to freshman Angela DiPasquale (Paramus, N.J./Paramus) in goal for the 2017 campaign as both goalkeepers from last season did not return. DiPasquale totaled 668 career saves and was team captain for two seasons at Paramus High School in Paramus, New Jersey.

Bloomsburg is scheduled to open the 2017 regular season on Friday, March 3, against Philadelphia University at Steph Pettit Stadium. Start time is scheduled for 6:00 p.m.

PSAC Preseason Coaches Poll
1. West Chester (8)
2. Mercyhurst (3)
3. IUP (1)
4. Lock Haven (1)
5. East Stroudsburg
6. Seton Hill
7. Millersville
8. Slippery Rock
9. Bloomsburg
10. Gannon
11. Edinboro
12. Kutztown
13. Shippensburg