The pitch has been crowded during the Mansfield University field hockey preseason camp and that’s a good thing for head coach Diane Monkiewicz and the 2006 Mountaineers.

The 25-player roster is the largest in Monkiewicz’s nine years at the helm and the competition created for starting positions has already started showing results.

The Mountaineers return a strong core of 14 players from last season’s 6-11 squad including 12 players who started sometime during the season. Mansfield also returns its top five scorers from last year who combined for 33 overall goals.

Those returners alone should make the Mountaineers a competitive force in the PSAC, but what has really impressed Monkiewicz has been the play and maturity of the 10-player freshmen class.

If Mansfield can get through a brutal early season schedule that has the first six games on the road with trips to five of the six top ranked NCAA II programs last season, including national champion UMASS-Lowell, runner-up Bloomsburg and regular season #1 ranked Shippensburg before facing #5 ranked IUP at home, they have the talent to compete for the program’s first-ever PSAC playoff berth.

The Mountaineers expect to be offensive from the get-go behind junior forwards Keely Jarrett (Pennsburg/Upper Perkiomen) and Ryanne Higgins (Newtown/Council Rock). Both ranked among the conference leaders last season where they combined for 19 goals and 48 points.

Both outside spots have experienced backup in veterans Rebekah Brown (Equinunk/Hancock Central), Ashley Weidner (Gardners/Biglerville) and Laura Carden (Friendsville/Montrose).

The center front line is shaping up as a battle between four talented freshmen in Carlyn Spangler (Valley Center, CA/Valley Center) , Breanne Tobin (Perkasie/Pennridge), Molly Nasser (Springville/Lackawanna Trail) and Kayla Carter (Danville/Danville).

Shana Markwis (Milford/Delaware Valley), who was second on team in scoring with nine goals in her first season of collegiate field hockey last year, will again start at center-mid. She will be flanked by seniors Nicole Dann (Lucan, ON/Medway) and Angie Hamill (Endicott, NY/Owego) with sophomore Kelly Whiston (Gilbertsville/Boyertown) and freshman Brittany Kostishion (Perkasie/Pennridge) providing backup.

The Mountaineers hope to show the most improvement defensively where three-year starter Jess Wieder (Quakertown/Quakertown) will start at one wing with junior Liz Humphreys (Harrisburg/Central Dauphin) vying for the starting nod at the other with freshmen Jenna Shaub (Quarryville/Solanco) and Kelly Klimkowski (Lebano/cedar Crest). Veteran Christi Carter (Apalachin, NY/Owego) will backup Weider.

The center back could be the strength of the unit with sophomore Shantee Proctor (Forty Fort/Wyoming Valley West) and freshman Courtney Grunza (Nicholson/Lackawanna Trail) locked in a preseason battle for the starting spot with Kelly Klimkowski adding depth.

Junior Brianna DeLuca (West Grove/Avon Grove) returns at goalie where she started nine games last season recording 102 saves. Freshmen Hayley Tuckey (Courtright, ON/SCITS) and Stephanie Wysocki (Wilkes-Barre/Coughlin) will provide backup.