Connecticut soccer coach Ray Reid has successfully recruited players from Senegal, Jamaica, Arizona, and Los Angeles. He pitches the school's tradition, its two national championships and the 22 players he's had drafted by Major League Soccer.
He doesn't often mention the December weather in Storrs.
''For me, I was definitely shocked with the first winter, said Tony Cascio, a senior forward from Gilbert, Ariz. ''I was like, `There's no way I'm going to do this.' But I just bundled up and I was good.''
UConn (19-3-2) has been more than good. On Sunday the Huskies will appear in the NCAA quarterfinals for the 11th time in program history, hosting Charlotte (16-4-2) as the tournament's third seed. Connecticut is trying to make it back to the College Cup for the first time since winning the program's second national championship in 2000. The first came in 1981.
The weather forecast is calling for cloudy skies and temperatures in the 50s. Those would be much better conditions than the last time UConn played a national quarterfinal in Storrs, losing to Virginia Tech 1-0 on a muddy field after a snow storm in December, 2007.
''We actually like to play in good weather,'' Reid said.
The Huskies also like to play defense. UConn goalkeeper Andre Blake has recorded a school-record 16 shutouts this season, including nine in a row between Sept. 9 and Oct. 12.
''That's our main job, defense, even the forwards,'' said midfielder Carlos Alverez. ''Just hustle and work hard and the offense will flow from that little by little.''
UConn will face a Charlotte team that has scored seven goals in three rounds, and Cascio said the key to the game may be scoring first.
''I don't remember the last time a team has come back once we're up 1-0,'' he said. ''Once we get that first goal, it's just momentum from there.''
The Huskies are unbeaten at home since 2009, and 28-14-1 in NCAA tournament play in Storrs. They are expecting a sellout, with about 5,000 fans at Sunday's game.
A win would cap an amazing year at the school, which had its football team go to the Fiesta Bowl in January, its men's basketball team capture a national title in April, its women's team make the Final Four, its baseball team play in a Super Regional and the field hockey team go to the national semifinals.
''We all bond,'' Alverez said. ''The basketball teams, both boys and girls come to our games, baseball guys, football guys, they are all really close to the soccer guys. It's a great thing.''
Reid said it's also great to be able to go down to Gampel Pavilion and pick the mind of coaching legends Geno Auriemma and Jim Calhoun.
''Consistency, I take from them along with resiliency, developing young players,'' Reid said. ''They both have a high level of concentration and high level of intensity. I've watched both of them work with their teams and I go in and try to learn from them.''
Reid is just four wins shy of 350 in his 22 years in Storrs, where he has won 77 percent of his games.
Alverez said his coach can be as harsh as the weather in Connecticut, and makes sure his players understand he's not there to be their friend. But he does make them better and tougher, and he says it's why so many great players travel north to play at Connecticut.
''At the end of the day, good players want to come out of their comfortable zone, and be challenged and accomplish something,'' Alverez said. ''That's why I came here.''
