As it heads to Kansas City for the Final Four, the University of Charleston men's soccer team is no stranger to the big stage.
It's the third year in a row that the Golden Eagles have made a national semifinal appearance, with each of the last two seasons ending in disappointments before meeting their ultimate goal of lifting the trophy. But this, coach Chris Grassie said, is a different UC team as it prepares for Thursday's 3 p.m. semifinal showdown against Rockhurst at Swope Soccer Village.
"This group doesn't feel the pressure of this stage, but they have expectations they've set for themselves," Grassie said. "They expected to get to this point and now it's about making the most of it when we get there. They're being very coachable, enjoying playing with one another and looking forward to stepping back on the pitch.
"It's been a great ride up to this point."
Charleston (18-2-2) has been able to do the things this season it has become known for doing best leading up to this point in its postseason run.
The Golden Eagles possessed the ball well and got into the attack the way they wanted to, getting through the Atlantic Region with victories over West Chester and Urbana. Then, after allowing two goals in the second half and going into overtime, UC was able to punch its ticket back to the Final Four by winning a penalty shootout against Adelphi.
Now, as it prepares to take on a Rockhurst team that will be playing less than 5 miles away from its usual home field, Grassie and UC have been spending the majority of the time preparing for the game by focusing on themselves more than what they expect the Hawks to come out and do on Thursday.
"We've been making sure we have our plan solid and that we have a good feeling within the team about what we're supposed to do," Grassie said. "It's a thing where we feel like if we do what we're supposed to do and play our game, we have a good chance of getting a win."
Rockhurst has advanced to this point by winning twice on PKs, and comes in with an 18-2-3 record and an eight-match unbeaten streak.
It has been led this season by forward Kaleb Jackson, who enters the match with 12 goals and five assists.
Meanwhile, Charleston will be putting its run of 10 consecutive games without a loss on the line. Forward Will Roberts and midfielder Patrick Guier were named first-team all-Americans by the Division II Conference Commissioners Association on Wednesday and they lead the powerful Golden Eagle attack.
Roberts comes into the national semifinal with 21 goals and seven assists while Guier leads the nation with 19 assists to go with his nine goals.
That attack is complemented well by a defensive setup that has continued to be strong since it has been led by goalkeeper Paulo Pita, who has five clean sheets in the 10 games he's played this season, and a strong back line consisting of experienced players like Bruno Oliveira and Jake Young.
"I don't feel like there are many nerves," Roberts said. "I'm sure we've got enough senior players to relax the team and get everyone used to [playing in the Final Four]."
It's a team full of fresh faces that make this UC team different than the ones that have come up just short of capturing a national title in the last two trips to the Final Four.
Now, as the Golden Eagles prepare to take another shot at it, Grassie is hoping the third time's the charm.
"It doesn't really feel like there's a monkey on our back with this group, which is a nice feeling," Grassie said. "We looked at this as a rebuilding year for us, so to get to be back here again and have this chance is special. I feel like if the guys can play with the freedom that they have and not feel the pressure, we can make a good run at it and hopefully keep winning."
Contact Michael Carvelli at 304-348-4810 or michael.carvelli@wvgazettemail.com. Follow him on Twitter @carvelli3.