Dating back to the recruitment of several local stars, the fostering of an intense competitive environment, and a brutal non-conference schedule, it is clear the Pioneers have been building for this moment for years. Denver will enter the College Cup as a veteran and battle-tested team with the requisite talent to win the program’s first-ever national title.

There is no better place to begin analyzing Denver's path to the final four than the literal start of the season. The Pioneers began their campaign with six consecutive road games, an unorthodox move that elite programs usually avoid by opting to play games of that caliber at home and certainly not in a row. Those matches were against historical and current powers in California, Stanford, Washington, SMU, Creighton, and UCLA. So when Denver survived with an undefeated 3-0-3 record, there was a feeling this could be the year of a College Cup triumph. Head Coach Jamie Franks explained his reasoning for such a unique non-conference schedule.

“To beat anybody in any condition on any given day means you have to go out and play away games, and that belief is about fighting adversity. It’s about figuring out who you are . . . And we wanted to play as many top 25 games as we could.”

The result was the Pioneers playing eight of their 18 regular season games against teams who qualified for the NCAA tournament, dwarfing any other program that reached the College Cup. Of course, to survive such a schedule, the roster has to have quality in depth, and Franks found that by leaning into the talent-rich state of Colorado.

“It is a special relationship and a special connection for a college coach to know some of these kids for ten plus years . . . Those Colorado kids, half the team is always formed of that, and we just don’t make mistakes on them. Those kids are gritty, they are everyday guys, which really helps set our performance environment.”

It is hard to argue with the results. Sam Bassett, the number one ranked player in the TDS Midseason rankings and team leader in points, grew up 20 minutes from the university. Isaac Nehme, a junior and two-time Summit League Goalkeeper of the Year, grew up an hour from campus. Those two were part of the Elite Eight winning starting lineup featuring five players born in the Centennial state (Bassett, Nehme, Trevor Wright, Benjamin Smith, Ian Smith). That core, along with other impact makers from outside, such as star striker Oje Ofunrein from Texas and two-time Summit League Defender of the Year Ronan Wynne from New Zealand, have created a formidable program and competitive environment that will be a force for years to come.

Franks, who as a player helped lead Wake Forest to its only national championship in 2007, will now look to repeat the feat for a Denver team that has never been to a final.

Ten Key Moments:

8/25/2024 - Defeats nationally ranked Stanford 1-0 on the road.

09/9/2024 - 0-0 draw at UCLA concludes grueling start to the season with six road games.

9/16/2024 - Ranked No. 1 in the country and keeps position for four weeks.

10/5/2024 - 5-0 victory over St. Thomas caps of 11-match unbeaten start to season.

10/17/2024 - Sam Bassett comes in as the No. 1 ranked player in the TDS Midseason Player Rankings. Following are No. 27 Trevor Wright, No. 33 Benjamin Smith, No. 57 Ian Smith, No. 60 Isaac Nehme, and No. 75 Oje Ofunrein.

10/21/2024 - TDS Midseason Freshman Rankings are released and Keegan Kelly is ranked No. 34.

11/9/2024 - 2-1 victory over Omaha secures summit league title.

11/15/2024 - Summit League awards are announced. Sam Bassett wins Midfielder of the Year, Ronan Wynne wins Defensive Player of the Year, and Isaac Nehme wins Goalkeeper of the Year. First Team selections are Bassett, Wynne, Nehme, Oje Ofunrein, Benjamin Smith, and Ian Smith. Second Team selections are Bryce Willoughby and Trevor Wright.

11/16/2024 - Concedes goal with 13 seconds remaining to lose Summit League tournament final 2-1 to Kansas City.

12/7/2024 - 3-0 victory over Massachusetts secures second College Cup berth and first since 2016.

Ten Key Statistics:

• Sam Bassett is second in country with 13 assists

• 15 wins are second most in the country

• 13 different goal scorers

• 10 shutouts are second most in the country

• Have not conceded in NCAA tournament

• 7 - 0 NCAA tournament goal differential

• Played nine regular season games against NCAA tournament qualifiers

• 10 of 11 starters are juniors or older

• 5 of 11 starters are from Colorado (Isaac Nehme, Trevor Wright, Benjamin Smith, Sam Bassett, Ian Smith)

• Second College Cup in program history