Led by goalkeeper Isaac Nehme, DU Pioneers men’s soccer has lofty goals for 2025

As a junior at Cheyenne Mountain High in early 2021, goalkeeper Isaac Nehme found himself all alone.

He had been dealing with recurring kneecap dislocations for a while, and the problem reached the point that ligament reconstruction would soon be required. With the world at a standstill amid the COVID-19 pandemic, the time was right for the surgery.

So, on the verge of graduating from the Colorado Rapids academy and heading off to play for the University of Denver, Nehme underwent an operation that would keep him immobile for months. Suddenly, an era defined by isolation became even more isolating.

Coffee shop study sessions with academy teammate and friend Sam Bassett — one of the last bits of normalcy left in a highly abnormal time — immediately disappeared.

“That was probably the hardest part: those first couple months, just kind of being on your own,” Nehme told The Denver Post. “It’s a lonely place, but it definitely gives you a perspective shift once you come back — how lucky we are to do what we do.”

Four and a half years later, Nehme is a senior with the DU Pioneers and the No. 19 player in the country, according to Top Drawer Soccer’s preseason rankings. And that long recovery process as a high schooler helped shape him for the leadership role he’ll play for the Pioneers this year.

When Nehme returned to play from the surgery back in 2021, he had to re-learn how to be a goalkeeper. At first, he took it slow in training with the Rapids academy, afraid to push off the leg he’d hurt numerous times before.

But with the push of Rapids goalkeepers coach Chris Sharpe, Nehme failed forward.

“The only way to get used to it again is by just being vulnerable, being in those moments you have to learn,” Nehme said. “That came from conceding a lot of goals in training and games. (It takes) a lot of humility, but you just have to learn and redevelop that mindset and that twitchiness.”

DU head coach Jamie Franks, who scouted Nehme, didn’t flinch at the injury. Instead, he handed Nehme the keys to his program just a year after coming back.

In his first three seasons, he played 64 of a possible 65 matches between the sticks and conceded 52 goals for an impressive average of 0.81 per game. He made 136 saves (2.1 per game) and held 29 clean sheets — a number that grew to 30 with the Pios’ 2-0 win over Washington in their 2025 season opener on Thursday.

Nehme had good defenses in front of him all three of those years, which helped his development at the position. It also gave him freedom to express himself within the system, something Franks says has blossomed over time.

“I think it’s just Isaac understanding what type of goalkeeper he is,” Franks said. “His presence on the field, his ability to be proactive with his shot prevention, moving teammates into the right spots, knowing where opponents are, and what spaces are dangerous. He does that stuff with such clarity and ease. … And he’s an extra player for us — we want to start every attack with his feet.”

Nehme’s rise coincided with the Pioneers’ best NCAA Tournament run since 2016 and a berth in the College Cup semifinals. The Pios lost to eventual national champion Vermont in penalties, with Nehme failing to record a save in the shootout. But the 21-year-old said he’s put that experience behind him while taking lessons from the work it took to get there.

This year’s goals are similar, with the team fully equipped to compete for a national title once again. The Pioneers lost six starters to graduation or the pros, but the next man is up at each spot.

That includes two defenders entering the fray who have not played much or at all for DU. Still, that unit has a lofty objective of keeping its goals allowed at or below 10 for the year. They gave up almost twice that last season (18) in 23 games. Just one Franks-led team has gone below that mark (excluding an eight-game 2020 season): his first year as head coach in 2015, when the Pioneers let in eight goals in an 18-game year.

“It’s not always the best team from the 18 to the 18 wins, it’s mainly who can win the (penalty) boxes. I think for us, it’s just putting an emphasis on that in our training,” Nehme said. “The only way to get under 10 goals is by starting against Washington. You can’t look too far in advance. … 10 is a good number for us.”

DU got off to a good start with Thursday’s shutout of the Huskies. The win, Nehme’s 42nd with the Pios, tied Nick Gardner (2014-18) for the program record. Another rung on the ladder, with still many more to go.

As Nehme learned training alongside Rapids goalkeepers Zack Steffen, Nico Hansen and Adam Beaudry, every step counts.

“How you do some things is how you do all things, and that’s how they are,” Nehme said. “Every little detail matters so much. Their ability to focus on literally everything — the way you walk out to training, the way you look, the way you leave training and recover — they’re so professional. That taught me to be more of a professional in everything I do, even outside of football, outside of the stadium and the training grounds.”

DU men’s soccer schedule

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