ASU is coming off an 11-7-2 overall record in 2012 and a trip to the semifinals of the Lone Star Conference Championships. The Rambelles' active roster sees 10 returning players from last year's and the addition of 12 newcomers. The program has advanced to the postseason the past three years and enters the season with a 148-138-35 record since the first game in 1995.

Team captains: Jordan Benfield, Dani Edwards
Jordan Benfield enters her senior season after missing half of last year with a knee injury. Benfield, a defensive leader, has played in 40 games in her career at ASU. She was selected to the LSC's All-Academic team last season and was a second-team defender as a sophomore and honorable mention as a freshman. The Denton Ryan graduate is known for her strong defensive prowess, but has also contributed two assists and has taken eight shots in her career.

Dani Edwards returns for her senior season after earning the LSC's Goalkeeper of the Year award last season. Edwards recorded eight shutouts and 79 saves last season for the Rambelles. A San Angelo Lake View graduate, she has played in 23 games after joining the team midway through the 2011 season. Click for feature article

Senior Spotlight: Maggie Schaffer, Kara Edwards, Katie Squires, Trisha Killen
Maggie Schaffer enters her third season with the Rambelles with 10 career goals and four assists. A New Braunfels graduate, Schaffer joined the ASU program as a sophomore after playing at UTEP her freshman year. She has played in 37 games at ASU and has three game-winning goals. A punishing defender, Kara Edwards has played in 43 games at ASU since arriving from Bastrop. Edwards was named the LSC's Defender of the Week last September and earned a spot on the conference's honorable mention list. She has two assists in her career. Katie Squires comes into her senior season with 58 games of experience and three goals and three assists. A Hurst native and Grapevine High graduate, Squires has two game-winning goals and has taken 31 shots from her midfield position. Trisha Killen has 37 games of defensive experience entering the season. A Birdville HS graduate, Killen had two assists as a junior and one as a sophomore.

Coach Quotes

Head coach Travis McCorkle (Entering sixth season with a 50-39-9 record at ASU)
On his thoughts on the start of the new season:
"This time of the year is interesting, because I feel like I know where our team is at, but the question becomes what level of play the teams you're going to play are going to be at to begin the season. You really never know if they are going to be better or the same as the previous season. For us, it's always been that we want to be as good as we possibly can be entering the season and that's the goal in our training."
 
On the feel of the team going into the 2013 season:
"We have had freshmen who have stepped up in our preseason by scoring goals and strong midfield play. Their learning curve has been really good to see. Defensively we've seen some good minutes from our younger players and everyone has shown that they have the common goal of wanting to contribute to Angelo State wins. As long as we all know that, then we are going to be a team that is going to compete at a high level each game we play."
 
Angelo State at New Mexico Highlands Cowgirls (8 p.m. on Thursday)
The Rambelles will face the Cowgirls for the second straight season and for the second time in program history in the season opener. The game, which will take place in Las Vegas, N.M. at 7 p.m. mountain time, ignites the 2013 season for ASU and is the first of nine road games and the first of three contests outside the state of Texas. The Rambelles earned a 2-1 double-overtime win over New Mexico Highlands last season when Sierra Anderson scored an unassisted goal (the first goal of her career) to end the game and propel ASU to 2-0 on the young season. The Cowgirls finished last season with a 6-10-2 overall record and a 4-8-2 mark in Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference play. Justin Wagar is entering his fourth season as the Cowgirls head coach.
 
Angelo State vs. Ouachita Baptist Tigers (2 p.m. on Saturday)
ASU will open its home schedule on Saturday, Sept. 7 against the Ouachita Baptist Tigers. It will mark the third meeting between the two programs, but also the first contest since the Rambelles took a 4-0 win in the 1999 season. The series between the two schools is tied at 1-1. OBU is coming off a 10-8-1 overall record last season which included reaching the Great American Conference championship game where it lost 2-1 to Southwestern Oklahoma. The Tigers will also play LSC opponents in Texas Woman's and Texas A&M-Commerce this season under the direction of Kevin Wright who is in his second year as the team's head coach.
 
Angelo State vs. Wayland Baptist Pioneers (4 p.m. on Sunday)
The Rambelles lone match outside of NCAA Division II play comes in the third game of the season against the Pioneers of Wayland Baptist. The only other meeting between the two programs resulted in a 14-0 win for ASU in the 2002 season. The Pioneers are coming off an 8-9-1 record last year, including going 2-5-1 in Sooner Athletic Conference (NAIA) play. Shiloh Posey enters his seventh season as WBU's head coach.