University of Denver Athletics

Kris Peat wrapped up his 14th season of his second stint coaching soccer at DU in 2021. Peat returned to the University of Denver in May 2008 as a women's soccer assistant coach. He served as DU's assistant men's coach and women's goalkeeping coach in 1999-2000.

2021: The Pioneers finished 13-6-2 and 8-0-1 in the Summit League to win the program's fourth-straight regular season title and their fifth in the last six years. Denver opened the season at 4-0-0 with two Power-5 victories at the University of Denver Soccer Stadium over Utah (Aug. 26) and Kansas State (Sept. 2). The Pios gruling schedule continued as they lost five of the next six before turning it around with seven-straight wins to start Summit League play. Denver drew 1-1 with South Dakota and defeated South Dakota State 2-0 on the final day of the season to clinch the No. 1 overall seed in the Summit League Tournament. The Pioneers won the semi in penalties before falling 4-2 in the final. Natalie Beckman was named the Summit League Offensive Player of the Year for the second-straight year and Devan McSwain was named the Summit League Defensive Player of the Year. Hooker earned his 13th coach of the year honor. In 2021, Peat was named to his high school's (Vernon Township High School) Hall of Fame. 

2020 (delayed to spring of 2021 by COVID-19): The pandemic brought with it a unique season as after an extra time loss to Colorado in the season opener in February, Denver played a 16-match Summit League double round robin schedule, playing each team twice on the same weekend at the same site. Denver finished 14-1-1 in Summit League play to claim the regular season title. The Pioneers then completed the Summit League double with a 2-0 win over South Dakota and a 3-0 win at Omaha to claim a second trophy. Denver then went on to win its first NCAA Tournament game since 2012 when the Pioneers came from a goal down to beat Loyola Chicago 3-1. DU would go on to lose to No. 2 North Carolina 2-0 in the second round. Natalie Beckman was named the Summit League Offensive Player of the Year, leading the country in assists with 14 and finishing second in the country in points with 34. 

2019: In the first year without the Colorado Cup since the competition began in 2011, Denver opened the season with a 3-0-1 homestand that included a 3-0 win over [24/11] Texas at the University of Denver Soccer Stadium. After losing its next four matches, including three by one goal, Denver finished the campaign 12 matches unbeaten. After drawing at South Dakota State 1-1 in the Summit League Final, the Pioneers lost 4-2 on penalties. Centerback Cheyenne Shorts was named the Summit League Defensive Player of the Year.

2018: The Pioneers win both the Summit League regular season title and the Summit League Tournament title for the first time since the Pioneers first year in the league in 2013. A young Pioneers squad peaked at the end of the season, winning 10 of their last 11 matches heading into the 2019 NCAA Tournament. Three freshmen scored in the league semifinals against North Dakota State, while freshman Cameron MacMillan turned in her second multi-goal game in the Summit League Final, a 4-0 win over Omaha. Freshman Natalie Beckman finished 21st in the country in assists with nine, while junior keeper Brittany Wilson finished 12th in the country in cleansheets with 10. 

2017: Denver reached the NCAA postseason for the first time since the 2013 campaign thanks to a Summit League Tournament title in Fargo, N.D. The Pioneers went 5-2-0 in league play with both losses coming in extra time. Jessie Dancy scored her 13th and 14th goals of the season in the two Summit League Tournament games, and Angelica Pacheco netted the game-winner in the final minutes to give Denver its second trophy in as many years. 

2016: Following a 3-7-1 non-league schedule, Denver went 5-2-1 in Summit League play in 2016 to earn the program's second Summit League title, its first since its first season in the league in 2013. Peat coached freshman goalkeeper Brittany Wilson, who was named the league's Goalkeeper of the Year in 2016.  

2015: After going winless outside of the league in 2015, Denver finished Summit League play 4-4-0 for a fifth place finish in the league. The Pioneers went 2-5 at home and 2-6 on the road in 2015. 

Denver’s second season in the Summit League, a young Pioneer squad finished 10-8-2 and 5-3-0 in the Summit League. The 10 wins extended the program's double-digit streak to nine-consecutive seasons. Denver’s season concluded in similar heartbreak to the 2010 campaign, as the Pioneers dropped a penalty shootout in the Summit League Championship to South Dakota State.

In their first season in The Summit League, the Pioneers swept the regular season and tournament titles, winning all nine matches against conference opposition. For the second season in a row, CIBER Field hosted a first round NCAA Tournament contest, a match Denver dropped 1-0. Denver finished the campaign with an 18-2-1 mark.

2012: The Pioneers not only reached the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 2009, but advanced to the NCAA Round of 16 for the first time in program history. Hooker was named the Western Athletic Confernece Coach of the Year, leading the program to a 17-3-4 overall record and a 6-2-0 mark in the WAC. Kristen Hamilton was named the WAC Player of the Year and was joined by six other Pioneers on WAC all-conference teams in 2012. Denver hosted its first NCAA Tournament game in first season, earning a 3-1 result over Colorado College in the NCAA First Round. The Pioneers followed that up with a trip to Stanford, Calif., where DU erased a two-goal deficit to upset No. 4 Maryland 3-2 in extra time. Kaitlin Bast became the third player in program history to join the 100-point club in that NCAA Tournament win over Colorado College. Bast finished her career with 104 points.

I2011: Denver finished 16-5-0 (.762) overall and 9-2-0 (.818) in its final year in the SBC. DU fell to Florida International by a count of 3-1 in the SBC Semifinals. Sophomore Kristen Hamilton was named the SBC Player of the Year. Hamilton and sophomore Nicholette DiGiacomo both earned spots on the NCAA All-South Region First Team, while freshman Sam Harder landed a spot on the second team. Six Pioneers recieved SBC All-Confernece awards. Katy Van Lieshout and Kari Storslett earned CoSIDA Acadademic All-American First Team honors.

2010: The Pioneers went 19-2-1 (.886) overall and 11-0-0 (1.000) in the Sun Belt Conference regular season, recording the best winning percentages in team history. However, a shootout loss following a 0-0 tie in the SBC Tournament championship game snapped DU's record streak of four-straight SBC Tournament titles and trips to the NCAA Tournament. Sophomore Kaitlin Bast was named SBC Player of the Year and freshman Nicholette DiGiacomo took SBC Co-Freshman of the Year, leading a list of seven DU players named All-SBC.

2009: The Pioneers claimed their fourth-consecutive Sun Belt Tournament championship before facing Portland in the First Round of the NCAA Tournament. Five Pioneers were named All-Sun Belt Conference, including freshman Kaitlin Bast who earned a spot on the All-SBC First Team before claiming the Most Outstanding Player award at the SBC Tournament.

2008: The Pioneers earned their third consecutive Sun Belt Tournament title along with claiming the regular season conference crown in 2008. Senior forward Taryn Hemmings was named the SBC Player of the Year for a second time, and a league-high six Pioneers earned All-SBC honors.

Prior to Denver: Peat served as a volunteer assistant coach at Georgia State from 2006-08. Prior to Georgia State, Peat was the assistant/goalkeeper coach for the Atlanta Beat of the Women's United Soccer Association in 2003. During that time, Peat worked with a number of local soccer clubs that included Cobb F.C., Tophat and Atlanta Youth Soccer Association. He also worked with the Olympic Development Programs in Colorado and Georgia, serving as both coach and goalkeeper instructor. When the WUSA folded in 2003, Peat accepted the role of Director of Coaching for the Atlanta Youth Soccer Association in 2004 and worked closely with the board of directors and Executive Director Nel Fettig on all aspects of the club. Peat holds a USSF A license.

Peat's coaching career began with Wichita United in Wichita, Kan. He coached several boys and girls teams with the club and served as their goalkeeper director from 1992-99. After leaving Wichita, Peat accepted a coaching position at DU as the assistant men's coach and women's goalkeeper coach. He was also very active in youth soccer in Denver, where he was the goalkeeper director for Littleton United in 1999 and held the same position with the Colorado Rush in 1999-2000.

Peat played professional soccer from 1988-99 with the Albany Capitals of the American Soccer League, Los Angeles Lazers and Cleveland Crunch of the MISL, LA United of the World United Soccer League, and the Wichita Wings from 1989-99, where he earned all-star status during the 1992 and 1993 seasons. Peat retired in 1999 from professional soccer and his jersey was retired by the Wichita Wings organization in 2000.

A 1984 graduate of Vernon High School (N.J.), Peat attended North Carolina State University from 1984-87, where he received Adidas and Parade All-American honors in 1982 and 1983 as a goalkeeper. During this time Peat was a member of the U18 Youth National team from 1982-84. As a four-year starter at N.C. State, Peat captained the team in 1986 and was named to the All-Atlantic Coast Conference team in 1984 and All-ACC Tournament team in 1987. Peat still holds the team records for most saves in a single season with 145 in 1987 and career shutouts with 27, and he is second in career saves with 416.