BOX SCORE: Midwestern State 3, Angelo State 2

SAN ANGELO – The Angelo State soccer team lost, but won.

Maggie Schaffer and Selena Alvarez scored a pair of goals in the 87th minute of play to cut a three-goal deficit to one and secure the Rambelles' spot as the Lone Star Conference's top seed and the right to host the conference tournament next week despite a 2-3 loss to Midwestern State on Friday at the ASU Soccer Field.

ASU (11-4-2, 7-2-1 LSC) came into the game needing a win or a tie to win the outright LSC Championship, but finish as co-champions with the Mustangs (12-4-1, 7-2-1 LSC) with both teams finishing with 22 points in the regular-season standings. The conference championship is the first in program history for the Rambelles and the fourth time MSU has won a title. If ASU had lost by more than a goal, the tournament would have been hosted in Wichita Falls.

"It was a game where we did not expect three goals to be scored on us," ASU senior Jordan Benfield said. "We did not come out prepared, but we came back. We fought hard in the second half. After that first goal we knew we could get another one. I'm so proud of my team."

Schaffer scored ASU's first goal of the day off an assist from Sierra Anderson with 2:57 remaining in regulation and the Rambelles trailing 3-0 since MSU's Mickey Brown scored the Mustangs' third goal in the 50th minute of play. Alvarez then gave ASU the goal it needed with a sliding shot off a pass from Anderson near the goal with 2:12 to play.

"I knew it was going to be one of the last chances we were going to get," Alvarez said. "I knew we needed to get a goal. And that's what we did. We made it happen."

The game was Senior Day for the Rambelles where Jordan Benfield, Dani Edwards, Kara Edwards, Trisha Killen, Maggie Schaffer and Katie Squires were honored prior to the game. Schaffer's goal was the 13th in her career and third this season. Dani Edwards had eight saves in the competitive game and each player continued providing the leadership that has led the team to their first conference title.

"We found a way to get through it and part of the credit has to go to our seniors," ASU head coach Travis McCorkle said. "They were the ones over there telling the other players that this game was not over and that we needed to fight for one more. That's leadership I've counted on from them all year and they did it again today to get those two goals and the ability to host the conference tournament.

The two teams were tied with 11 shots in the game with Angelo State having a 7-3 shots advantage in the second half. Katy Catney scored MSU's first goal of the game 23 minute in off an assists from Emily Saville and was followed by an Ashley Cottrell goal just a minute later. The goal for Cottrell was her eighth this season which is the most in the LSC. It was the first game this season where ASU allowed three goals.

"I think we learned some things from this game and wevwill put together a stronger performance next Friday," McCorkle said.  
The Rambelles will play at 2:30 p.m. next Friday in the second of two semifinals. The opponent has not been determined.