SOUTH BEND, Ind. — Sometimes the realization that it really is all over takes time to hit home at the end of a career.

As Colorado's Laura Munnelly walked off the field for the last time Friday night, simultaneously ending an era at CU, there was no time between the end of the game and that realization hitting like a runaway 18-wheeler.

"Yeah," was the only word the senior could muster before crying when asked if the notion had settled in yet.

Munnelly's team lost 3-0 to top-ranked Notre Dame on Friday night to end the season in the NCAA Sweet 16. It was the deepest NCAA Tournament run in CU history and set up the Buffs (14-6-4) as a perennial candidate to make the national tournament.

But the loss also severed the last link to CU's Big 12 championship team. Munnelly and fellow senior Katie Griffin were freshmen on the 2003 team that won the school's only conference championship, which began a four-year NCAA Tournament stretch. Those two and starting midfielder Allie True were the only seniors on this team, and after the legacy they left, the remaining players have a high standard to maintain.

"I know this next group will have the same desire," CU coach Bill Hempen said. "They will have that same intensity when they put the CU uniform on."

The senior class' stats from this season aren't as impressive as some in the past. Munnelly was a defender and had just one goal. But she played every minute of the season. True, who transferred from UCLA after her freshman season, had just two goals and three assists. But she was so dependable in the midfield that the Buffs didn't have to worry about the position. Griffin had just five goals. But she scored a program-record 32 in her career, including three in the NCAA Tournament after moving to midfield to help her team break out of a midseason slump.

Their class had the most wins of any at CU. It finished 56-24-11 overall with a 4-4 NCAA Tournament record. The Buffs advanced to the last two Big 12 Tournament finals and lost there to Texas in penalty kicks this season.

The good part about having only three seniors is the younger players have to learn quickly. The Buffs had 13 freshmen and three were starters — defender/midfielder Jess Quador, defender Kelly Ross and forward Nikki Marshall. Freshmen goalie Kara Linder and freshmen defender Mary White also started at times during the season.

Marshall has a bright future. The homegrown star from Mead was named the Big 12 newcomer of the year and scored a conference-best 17 goals. Both Ross and Quador became solid starters during the season and could provide stability for years to come.

This year's sophomores will also have to be a big part of the team if Colorado wants to continue to be at the top of the conference and in the NCAA Tournament. The only junior starters on this year's team were defender Brittany Dornseif and forward/midfielder Allison Kidd. Sophomores Kirstin Radlinski (goalie), Michele Wenino (defender), Nikki Keller (midfielder), and Alex Cousins (midfielder/forward) were starters this season. Radlinksi nailed down the goalie spot midway through the season. Wenino and Keller are two-year starters and Cousins started half of the team's games as a freshman.

Those players rallied around the seniors when the Buffs made a late-season run to earn the first NCAA host bid in school history. They didn't want the three seniors to end such stellar careers without finishing in the NCAA Tournament. Now they will have to find new motivation. Or maybe not.

"You know, we wanted to make the NCAA Tournament for our seniors, and I think we'll just keep that attitude," Marshall said. "We still want to continue their legacy and make them proud because they taught us so much."

NCAA Women's Soccer THIRD ROUND Friday, Nov. 17

Texas A&M 2, Virginia 1

Notre Dame 3, Colorado 0

UCLA 3, Florida 2

Clemson 0, Stanford 0, tie, Clemson advances 4-2 on penalty kicks

Saturday, Nov. 18

North Carolina 6, Tennessee 2

Sunday, Nov. 19

Illinois (16-7-0) at Florida St. (16-3-4), 11 a.m.

Boston College (12-6-3) at Penn St. (17-4-3), 11 a.m.

Portland (16-3-3) at Texas (18-3-3), noon.

QUARTERFINALS Nov. 24-25-26

North Carolina (24-1-0) vs. Texas A&M (17-5-1)

UCLA (20-3-0) vs. Portland-Texas winner

Clemson (11-7-5) vs. Illinois-Florida St. winner

Penn St.-Boston College winner vs. Notre Dame (23-0-1)