Most freshmen athletes arrive in college talented but inexperienced, often playing behind upperclassmen to help guide them through the demanding transition into DI athletics. Goalkeeper Pauline Nelles didn't have to wait.
When Nelles touched down in Tempe as a freshman in 2022, she turned up with over six years of international experience. This enabled head coach Graham Winkworth to hand her the starting job immediately.
Nelles' accomplishments include playing on German youth national teams and with FC Köln, a member of the Frauen-Bundesliga — Germany’s top women's soccer league. However, the goalkeeper's soccer journey began far before her international debut.
Nelles, who hails from the city of Bonn, credits her grandfather for introducing soccer into her life and making it a mainstay throughout her childhood.
"He had a big impact on me, on my journey, on my development," Nelles said. "After school, we went to the garden, to the backyard, (we) played soccer every single day."
While Nelles trained in all aspects of the sport, these backyard sessions helped develop one in particular: her passing. She described her garden as "big, but not as big that you can shoot from 16 yards." Those passing drills laid the foundation for what Winkworth told Sports360AZ are "the best feet (he's) ever seen from a goalkeeper."
"Different players have got different superpowers," Winkworth said. "One of hers is her feet, and so we're going to use it, and it really helps us."
Nelles fell in love with the sport at a young age, but her future as a goalkeeper came about because of her dislike of running. She also said that, in her position, she's able to take a step back and watch the game.
Despite none of her family being involved with soccer, Nelles reached higher and higher in the sport. She made her debut with the U15 German national team in May 2016 and joined FC Köln in 2018.
The highlight of her career came during the 2019 UEFA European Women's Under-17 Championship final, when she had four saves in the penalty shootout to clinch a 3-2 victory for her country.
It was these types of outings that first caught Winkworth's eye. The head coach has always been competitive when searching for international talent, and after witnessing Nelles in person at a German national team practice in 2019, she stayed on his radar.
In 2021, Winkworth rekindled the connection. He went down to Cologne, Germany, a few months later, to meet her.
"We went for cheesecake in Bonn," Winkworth said. "After the cheesecake, I then went to her practice, in which she did not tell her club coaches that I was going to be there ... but then we created a connection and, the next thing I know, she committed to be a Sun Devil."
In her freshman campaign, she started 17 out of 18 matches, even with sophomore Birta Gudlaugsdottir already on the roster.
"It was like recruiting a senior as a freshman," Winkworth said.
From that point on, Nelles had the position on lock. She was a part of the All-Pac-12 Third Team in 2022 and the All-Pac-12 Second Team in 2023. In 2024, she also broke the program record for most shutouts in a year with nine, and is only two away from the school's all-time record of 24.
However, Nelles took a slight step back last year, allowing her most goals in a season and posting a career-low in save percentage at 73.5%. She's bounced back better than ever to start this year, letting in just four goals through her first eight games.
Despite this, Nelles feels the area she has improved the most in during her tenure at ASU is the mental side.
"I had some issues in the past," Nelles said. "I developed and grew into how to handle situations better."
As part of her pre-game mental preparation, Nelles listens to music and watches a specific motivational video that emphasizes "refocus and getting your stress out."
Additionally, the goalkeepers' coach runs through game situations with her to get her as ready as possible.
Nelles' play is often praised, but her personality is lauded just as much. Her ability to adapt to different coaching styles makes the staff's job easier.
"If they think they're bigger than the program ... because they've been here so long, they don't need to prove themselves or anything, it can be harder," assistant coach Rodrigo Selingardi said. "But in her case, it's totally the opposite. I felt welcome."
Winkworth called her "one of the kindest-hearted people" he knows, and her teammates gravitate to her as a leader — another change from when Nelles was a quiet freshman, he said.
For now, the only thing on her mind is this season. ASU is off to its best start this century at 7-0-1, and Nelles is at the center of that flurry. Her 27 saves are second in the Big 12, and her save percentage of 87.1%, a career-high, is fourth.
Sun Devils take on No. 10 BYU on Sep. 18, and although conference play poses a plethora of problems, ASU knows that with Nelles in the net, its last line of defense is also it's most reliable.
Edited by Alan Deutschendorf, George Headley and Ellis Preston.
Reach the reporter at pvallur2@asu.edu and follow @PrathamValluri on X.
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Pratham Valluri is a sports reporter at The State Press. He is a junior majoring in sports journalism with a business minor. He’s in his 5th semester with The State Press working previously as an opinion writer.
