Fran Munnelly

Kansas State

Sep 18 (Thu)

7 p.m.

Position:
Midfielder
Height:
5-3
Class:
Senior
Hometown:
Arvada, Colo.
High School:
Mullen

2002 first-team All-Big 12
2002 Big 12 Newcomer of the Year
2002 Big 12 All-Newcomer Team
2002 Soccer Buzz second-team All-Central Region
2002 Soccer Buzz National Freshman of the Year finalist
2002 Sportswomen of Colorado College Soccer Athlete of the Year
2003 Preseason All-Big 12
2003 first-team All-Big 12
2003 Big 12 Player of the Year
2003 NSCAA first-team All-Central Region
2003 Soccer Buzz first-team All-Central Region
2003 Soccer Buzz third-team All-America
2003 Sportswomen of Colorado College Soccer Athlete of the Year
2004 Preseason All-Big 12
2004 first-team All-Big 12
2004 NSCAA first-team All-Central Region
2004 Soccer Buzz first-team All-Central Region
2004 NSCAA third-team All-America
2004 Soccer Buzz honorable mention All-America
2004 Sportswomen of Colorado College Soccer Athlete of the Year
2005 Preseason All-Big 12
2005 first-team All-Big 12
2005 NSCAA first-team All-Central Region
2005 Soccer Buzz first-team All-Central Region
2005 NSCAA second-team All-America
2005 Soccer Buzz honorable mention All-America
2005 Soccer Times third-team All-America
2005 Sportswomen of Colorado College Soccer Athlete of the Year

SENIOR (2005): Munnelly continued her assault on CU's record books, starting all 24 games and leading the Buffs to the second round of the NCAA Tournament and the Big 12 Tournament final. She scored eight goals and had a team-high six assists for 22 points, second on the team. She also attempted 61 shots, including 29 on goal. Munnelly set a school record with a point in eight consecutive games from Sept. 23 to Oct. 16. She opened the game with the game-tying goal in a 2-1 win over Vanderbilt on Aug. 26. Munnelly contributed to CU's 1-1 draw with Wyoming, assisting on Tricia Regan's score in the 43rd minute. She then added two goals in a 3-0 win over Detroit on Sept. 16. She had another two-goal game in a 3-0 win at Northern Colorado on Oct. 9. Munnelly scored single goals against Nebraska, Oklahoma and Texas. She also had assists against Iowa State, Oklahoma State, Missouri, Kansas and Oklahoma. She wrapped up her CU career ranked No. 1 in CU history in career points (84), points per game (0.97), goals (30), goals per game (0.34), assists (24), shot attempts (257), shots per game (2.95), shots on goal (121), SOG per game (1.39), and penalty kicks made (6).

JUNIOR (2004): Munnelly extended her career starting streak to 63 games and as a junior played complete games in all but five contests and averaged 87 minutes. One of three midfielders in the double figure points column, her nine goals and team-leading (and tied school record) 23 points were a single season career best for CU’s first All-American. She had two gamewinning scores on the year, opening the seven-goal scoring spree against Texas Tech just three minutes and 30 seconds into the game, the quickest goal scored in program history and a penalty kick in overtime against MU in the first round of the Big 12 Tournament. She had seven games with four or more shots, and had a season high five attempts against both Denver and Texas. After registering just one point in a five game midseason stretch, she would score in back-to-back-to-back games against Texas, Baylor and Tech, adding a pair of assists in the latter. She went the last three regular season games without a score, but converted a pair of penalty kicks against MU and A&M in the Big 12 Tournament to make up for it. Her postseason accolades included her third appearance on the first-team all-Big 12 team (just the 13th player in league history to do so), her second Soccer Buzz all-region selection and her first on the NSCAA All-America third team, the first All-American distinction for a Buff. After the season her playing resume was expanded to include an invitation to the Under-21 National Team Camp in Carson, Calif.

SOPHOMORE (2003): Just the second player in Big 12 history to be named Rookie of the Year one season and Player of the Year the next (joining Texas’ Kelly McDonald), she earned the distinction for a second straight season as an attacking mid. She played a much different role in ?03, as Hempen surrounded her with more offensive threats. She had 6 scores, 7 assists and 19 points and bragging rights to the gamewinners against No. 9 Denver, Seton Hall, San Jose State and Texas Tech. She and Kathryn Grandinetti split efforts on corner kicks and Munnelly went one of two on the season in penalty kicks. She led CU in shots (57) and was one of four players to net multiple goal games, doing so at Texas Tech where she scored a school record five points. Her 19 points on the season was second on the team, and is the third best single season offensive output and her 7 assists is the second best single season mark. She had a pair of goals in the spring, against Northern Colorado and the U-19 ODP team.

FRESHMAN (2002): The most dominant player in Colorado’s history after just a single season, she became the first CU player ever to be named All-Central Region, the Big 12 Rookie of the Year, first-team All-Big 12 (one of only two freshmen in the league to earn the distinction) and to the Big 12 All-Newcomer Team. She led the team in shots (80), goals (7), assists (6) and points (20) and was CU’s all-time freshman leader in all four categories and is already listed among the career top 10 charts. After her first season she held the school’s single season record in assists, points and shots and her eight shots against both Baylor and Oklahoma, were both one shy of the school mark of nine. She was named the Big 12 Newcomer of the Week (another CU first) after netting two goals against Eastern Illinois and Maine to pace CU to its own early season Classic title. She put an exclamation point on her rookie season when she netted CU’s lone goal in an upset (1-0) win over Missouri in the Big 12 Tournament’s first round, giving the Buffs their first-ever postseason win.

HIGH SCHOOL: One of the most decorated prep players in CHSAA in recent history, Munnelly compiled a 54-16-5 career record, including one loss seasons as a sophomore and junior. Over four years she netted 90 goals and 38 assists for 214 points. She was a four-time all-Centennial League and all-state performer, was the Denver Post state title game MVP as a junior and led Mullen to the 4A state title as a senior while being named all-Colorado by both Denver dailies. She came to Colorado fresh off a U-18 youth national championship with the Colorado Soccer Academy. She also played for the Colorado Rush, the seven-time Colorado State Club Champions.

IN THE CLASSROOM: Munnelly is an integrated physiology major at CU and carries a better than 3.0 grade point average into her final season.

PERSONAL: Frances Anne Munnelly was born Oct. 18, 1983 in Denver. She is the daughter of James and Elizabeth Munnelly. Her father was a gymnast (parallel bars) at Northern Colorado during the early 1970s and her younger sister Laura is a junior defender on the CU soccer team. She is an avid hacky sack player and devout Beatles fan.