The University of Nebraska-Omaha men's soccer team has a big challenge in front of them Thursday night. The Mavericks will face the number one offense in the country when they play Florida International University in Miami.
UNO Head Coach Jay Mims says FIU won't intimidate them, and that the Mavs will work as hard as they always have. "The NCAA didn't do us any favors by matching us up against them and sending us about 2,000 miles away, but I think on the flip side, our guys are excited."
Mims has been at the helm of the UNO squad since the university made the jump from Division II to Division I, and he says being able to take UNO to the national stage is huge. "I think it's a historic day for us, you know, we've been obviously hard at work building the program for the last six years and I think it's a special day."
The Mavs appearance in Thursday's first-round tournament game is not only a first for the men's soccer team, but it is a first for the entire university. Nebraska-Omaha hasn't had any other sport reach this level of play outside of hockey, who have made it to the Frozen Four. Mims says making it this far means so much, to so many people. "For the city, for our university, for our soccer community. With having so many local guys involved, I think it's a pretty special day for everybody."
The Mavericks take the field against the FIU Panthers at 6:00 PM CST.