Seven of the eight quarterfinalists in the NCAA Division I men's soccer tournament have played at least one game at home. The lone exception? UMBC.
The Retrievers (14-5-4) have beaten Wake Forest, No. 4 seed Maryland and No. 13 seed Louisville on the road to their first Elite Eight appearance, and to get to their first College Cup, they will have to defeat No. 12 seed Creighton (16-3-2) at Morrison Stadium in Omaha, Neb., on Friday night.
But coach Pete Caringi said the travel should not impact the players.
"I think once the game begins, it's not going to have any effect on travel or who they are, the venue," he said Wednesday. "I think the one thing about our group is that it doesn't faze us that we're going to Creighton to play. I think some schools and some teams get caught up in all of that. I think we kind of thrive on it."
Senior forward Kay Banjo said that aside from the venue and crowd, Friday's game should be routine by now for the Retrievers.
"It's just another game," the Towson transfer said. "The ball is still the same. It's still soccer; nothing changes. We're here playing. Honestly, if we take the names off our backs, you're just playing soccer. It's not something that your life depends on. It's just something you've been doing for years. People watched when you were younger, you played away games when you were younger. It's something that I feel should not get to you, pressure-wise."
UMBC is attempting to become the first unseeded team to reach the national semifinals since UNC-Charlotte in 2011. Caringi said he has noticed a certain vibe around the team since a 1-0 upset of the Terps in the second round Nov. 23.
"When you win at Maryland and with the atmosphere we had, that gives you a confidence," he said. "So I think going out there, we're a very confident group. I feel it, and I sense it. I said we're a team of destiny, and I think that's where we are."