Aug. 21, 2003

PHILADELPHIA, Pa. - With a week and a half remaining until the fall sports regular season gets underway, the Atlantic 10 Conference released the annual coaches forecast. Six champions will be crowned this fall by the league.

Both Massachusetts cross country teams were selected sixth by the conferences coaches. Ken O'Brien's men's squad placed sixth last year, while Julie LaFreniere's women was eighth. The 2003 A-10 Cross Country Championship will be held Nov. 1, at Philadelphia's Belmont Plateau. It is hosted by Saint Joseph's University.

After a second-place finish last year, the Minutewoman field hockey team has been picked as the runner-up again this season. UMass returns five letterwinners from last year's 5-17 squad. The 2003 A-10 Field Hockey Championship will be Nov. 7-8, at Saint Joseph's University. UMass will host the 2003 NCAA Final Four, Nov. 21-23 at Richard F. Garber Field.

For the first time, six teams will be invited to the A-10 Soccer Championships. After a seventh-place finish last year, Jim Rudy's women's team has been picked to finish fifth. The Minutewomen return 16 letterwinners, including nine starters, from last year's 6-11 team. The 2003 A-10 Women's Soccer Championship will be Nov. 6-9, in Richmond, Va.

Sam Koch's men's soccer team, which aims for its third A-10 title in four years, has been selected fourth by the coaches. The Minutemen return 14 letterwinners and five starters from last year's 12-6-2 team. The 2003 A-10 Men's Soccer Championship is slated for Nov. 13-16, in Richmond, Va.

In field hockey and both men's and women's soccer, if the host institution fails to qualify the Championship will move to the home of the highest remaining seed.

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