CLINTON, Iowa - The Ashford University women's soccer team is getting ready to embark on a 10-day trip to sunny Costa Rica for preseason training, scrimmaging and a little bit of relaxation, before the regular season gets underway.

You can probably imagine the flurry of efficient packing into suitcases of all sizes before the Saints convene back on campus tomorrow evening.

But don't expect too many sleepy eyes showing up on the bus that leaves Clinton at 1 a.m. on Saturday night/Sunday morning. There is an undisputed excitement and buzz to the season that includes a brand new artificial turf field to call home on Ashford's South Campus.

AshfordAthletics.com will be alongside for a first-hand look during the tropical expedition and provide player blogs, game recap, photos and an inside look at the Saints as they gear up for the upcoming year (pending Internet connection).

For a handful of seniors under AU Head Coach Mick Regan, this season represents their final stand -- and they want to make it one to remember.

"I only have one mindset and that's to win," said four-year mainstay and First-Team All-MCC forward Cassandra Broderick. "I want to win our conference and to go to Nationals. I think this trip (to Costa Rica) will help a lot with the team bonding and mesh our style of play with a talented group of newcomers we have coming in."

Regan has quite the schedule lined up for his student-athletes. Included in the trip's festivities are an optional Catamaran cruise, a zip-lining tour over the picturesque rain forest, a whitewater rafting excursion and a community service outreach project conducted in the final days.

The Saints will also go through picturesque Tamarindo Beach and receive a walking tour of the capital of Costa Rica, San Jose, following their community service activity.

The Saints will go through rigorous training to go along with the idea to keep the team chemistry strong. Regan has taken his program to Costa Rica before and is looking forward to another productive trip.

"I think we have the potential to have a special season," the seventh-year skipper said. "This is our chance to get ready for the rigors of the new season. I'm very excited about the pieces of the puzzle we have. Everything is really coming together."

The Saints will return back to Iowa on Tuesday, Aug. 10.