DU soccer’s sophomore goalkeeper Isaac Nehme has stopped at nothing to try to maintain his level of shutouts. With 35 shots saved to date for this season, Nehme continues to do justice to the sport that he believes has molded him into the person he is today.

“Soccer is my outlet. I came to soccer when things weren’t so good and when things were looking up. Soccer was just always my happy place,” Nehme said. 

Starting his journey in Colorado Springs, Nehme knew from the beginning that being a goalkeeper at the University of Denver was it for him. While his older brothers were the driving force to “be the guy who was hit with all the shots,” Nehme ended up loving the leadership and experiences that came from being the player in the other jersey. 

“Soccer is a team sport but being a goalkeeper is a solo job,” he said. “It’s an individual position inside of a team sport. You’re kind of by yourself, you wear the different colored jersey, but because of that there are so many opportunities to support your teammates.”

The decision to play with the Crimson and Gold was a no-brainer for Nehme, He spent much of his youth growing up around the DU soccer camps, and has been close to current Head Coach Jamie Franks since childhood. 

When given the opportunity to play with the Colorado Rapids in high school, his coaches pushed him to make this switch to continue to pursue his dream of playing collegiate and professional soccer. He credits a lot of his success to the coaches who never let his focus waiver, who always made sure to push him to become a better player.

“My goalie coach Chris Sharpie at Rapids took me under his wing. He never let my standards drop and he taught me what it meant to be a true professional at what you do, which helped me get to where I am today,” Nehme said. 

Nehme also credits a lot of his success to his parents, Ghassan and Julia Nehme. Nehme states that a lot of the characteristics he believes made him into the great athlete he is today came from the dedication and support of his parents, who taught him to always fight for what he wanted.

“I love to fight and compete,” he explained. “I’m not the tallest guy; I’m not the best athlete, but I’m very competitive. I think that being a tough competitor and not relying on your athleticism or your size can take you really far in this game.”

Nehme started his career in just about the worst way one could; a devastating knee injury led to countless surgeries right after he committed to the University of Denver. While this was one of the darker times during Nehme’s soccer career, he credits it to being a large period of growth, both emotionally and physically.

“Overall it taught me a lot, it taught me how to be a self-advocate, how to really step up and be a good example whether you are having a good or bad day,” Nehme said. “You have to always smile and enjoy the process, whether you’re injured or you’re getting the praise.”

After the recovery of his injury, Nehme had an incredible freshman year, winning accolades like the United Soccer Coaches All-West Region First Team, Summit League Newcomer of the Year and League Tournament MVP. While Nehme states that these accolades meant a lot to him, he reiterates that they aren’t the end goal for him. 

“I’m not chasing or looking for those titles, I just want to win. I want to win a national championship and get the first one for DU,” he said. 

These sentiments were furthered when reflecting on the Summit League Championship win in 2022. 

“Being able to win it at home was just an indescribable feeling. I’m looking forward to doing it again this year,” he said. 

These goals, however, have never changed Nehme’s focus on doing well both on and off the field. As a business major at DU, Nehme is constantly finding a balance between being a good teammate, goalkeeper and student, and he says that it is with the support of his entire team he is able to balance it all.

“I would give all the credit to [Associate Head Coach] Brad [Franks] and Jamie. They’ve really helped me to work on my scheduling to organize everything going on, and that takes away a lot of the stress and it helps me on the field to ensure my focus,” he said. 

On the field, Nehme says that this balance is found through the communication that you have to have as a goalkeeper. Being able to see the entire field, Nehme understands how important it is to be a good teammate but also a good friend to support his brothers playing in front of him.

“It’s all about how can I help my teammates, how can I help my defenders, so I don’t have to make a lot of saves?” Nehme said. “Off the field, it’s always about supporting your players, all about how I can relieve some stress by being a good friend to the guys around me.”

Nehme says that the player that has the best chance of scoring against him would have to be junior forward Sam Bassett, a long time friend and teammate of Nehme growing up. He truly does value the impact that his teammates have had on him and genuinely believes that teamwork is fostered throughout every aspect of the game.

“That’s what I love about soccer; it allows you to be close to someone no matter where they come from,” Nehme said. “Everyone is the same on the field. There is a brotherhood no matter what you look like, where you come from, what your past is.”

Looking ahead, apart from his goal of winning the first soccer national championship for DU, Nehme sees himself continuing his soccer journey for years to come. 

“I want to just keep working hard, put my nose down, and maybe a pro contract will come in the next five to 10 years,” he said. “That’s all I can see in my eyes, I just have to, like Jamie says, trust the process, and hopefully I can get there one day.”