For much of this season, the University of Charleston men's soccer team has described the 2016 season as a "rebuilding year."
That rebuilding year comes to an end at 1 p.m. Saturday - in the Division II national championship game.
The Golden Eagles (19-2-2) face Wingate (18-1-0) as they go for their first title after making a third consecutive trip to the Final Four, a postseason run that continued with Thursday's 2-1 victory against Rockhurst.
"It's crazy to think about, it's hard to believe we're here," UC forward Will Roberts said. "Thinking back to the start of the year when we realized what type of team we could have, we knew this was possible. But we're excited to get out there and try to win it all."
This UC team is a group that returned several players who helped set the precedent for this level of success on a national stage while integrating new, talented players into the roster.
That has combined to create a winning recipe, as Charleston has found itself peaking at the right time, playing some of the best soccer its played in quite some time under coach Chris Grassie.
"This has been a very rewarding season so far, and we knew we had a special team even with so many new guys," Grassie said. "They've just come in and have played hard every time they step out there. This is an enjoyable group to be around, and I think we're in a great spot to win it if we play our game."
As the Golden Eagles prepare for a Wingate team that is expected to give them a tough battle, the fundamental message that Grassie - who won his 100th career game leading the UC program with Thursday's national semifinal victory - has sent to his team remains the same.
It's about continuing to focus in on their game plan more than worrying about what the other team wants to do.
"Within our team, we think of it as being this is our game to lose," Roberts said. "If we play the way we play the best we can, we're the best team there is, I think. We know we're one of the strongest teams in the nation."
Wingate has lost just one game this season, a 1-0 setback in the first round of the South Atlantic Conference tournament. The Bulldogs have been one of the best defensive teams in the country, allowing just eight goals in 19 games.
That defensive effort is led by NSCAA first-team all-American defender Alex Nelson and goalkeeper Pablo Jara's 11 clean sheets.
But Wingate will have to look to beat UC without one of its top attacking players. Midfielder Callum Ross is suspended for the match due to yellow card accumulation.
"They're a good, well-organized team and will be a tough challenge even with [Ross] out," Grassie said. "They're going to sit in a little bit and wait to counterattack you. They were disciplined at doing that against San Diego. It will be a tough challenge, but we fancy our chances."
The Golden Eagles knows they have plenty of work to do and a lot of things they need to do well in order to top the Bulldogs.
But they believe that if they stay the course, they have as good a chance as ever to finally get to raise the trophy for the first time.
"Every game we've had, we've seen our confidence keep building and now we're at the pinnacle point of the season," Roberts said. "I feel like we're where we want to be and now we have to go out and play our game and reach our biggest goal."
Contact Michael Carvelli at 304-348-4810 or michael.carvelli@wvgazettemail.com. Follow him on Twitter @carvelli3.