COLLEGE PARK, Md. – Before the start of the game, the University of Maryland women's soccer team's journey to Big Ten territory began with an early-morning flight out of Dulles International Airport.

The Terrapins played the University of Iowa Thursday and faced the University of Nebraska in Lincoln just two days later; a schedule that equates to hours spent in the air and on the roads.

“We're all so pumped about this weekend,” junior midfielder Maisie McCune said Wednesday. “But I always forget what a long day it is.”

As the university enters a conference with most opponents 1,000 miles away from College Park, days spent on the road will have an increasing impact on team's performance on the field.

At their best, travel days help teams to rest and mentally prepare to play, according to Coach Jonathan Morgan.

“You're on the road but all your focus is on the game ahead,” he said. “And the extra day in between will help us get our legs back and our minds fresh.”

The key to successful travel is planning ahead. The team wears special compression tights to help them recover and keep swelling down during its flights. Players also make sure to stay hydrated while on the road and get plenty of sleep.

Once they arrive the team spends about an hour relaxing at the hotel, practices before dinner, and watches film and talks strategy at night.

However, there's plenty of fun to go along with the games.

“A bunch of us will crowd in one room and watch a movie … we're watching Parenthood tomorrow,” McCune said.

On the bus it's another story. “We have a lot of people on our team that really like Disney movies and demand that we play them,” she said. The animated flick Frozen was on a few games ago."

She said half the fun of traveling to compete is experiencing other campuses and college towns.

“The schools are so different,” she said. “I'm kind of excited. It's a totally different atmosphere because there's nothing out here.”

Most times they stay at hotels near malls or shopping centers that they can walk around in to pass the time.

Wherever they play, the team always brings their locker-room music with them.

“Music is the No. 1 thing that pumps us up and gets us together,” McCune said.

Before home games, they play a dancing game in the locker room to help everyone shake off their nerves and loosen up. On the road, however, it's hard to do something similar.

“When we don't have that same environment it's a little bit harder,” she said of getting ready to play.

With at least four more Big Ten away games on the schedule before the conference tournament begins, the team will have plenty of time to settle into a travel rhythm.

The team plays its next road match against Ohio State in Columbus on Oct. 11. 

Catherine Sheffo, a junior journalism major at the University of Maryland, is a contributing writer to umterps.com.