Marty Puketapu

Kansas State

Sep 18 (Thu)

7 p.m.

Photo by: Lance Wendt

Photo by: Mike Greening

Photo by: Mike Greening

marty puketapu and megan massey vs. utsa 2017

Photo by: Mike Greening

Photo by: Grey Gibbs

Photo by: Brendan Maloney

Photo by: Grey Gibbs

Photo by: CUBuffs.com

Photo by: Roger Carry

martine puketapu 2017 fall camp practice

Photo by: Andy Schlichting

martine puketapu vs. wyoming spring 2017

Photo by: Mike Greening

Position:
Forward
Height:
5-8
Class:
Sophomore
Hometown:
Auckland, New Zealand
High School:
Epsom Girls Grammer School

2017 Pac-12 All-Freshman Team

SOPHOMORE (2018): Puketapu played in all 20 matches for CU. She totaled eight points on the season, scoring three goals with two assists. She registered an assist in CU’s 3-0 win to open the season at Air Force. Her first goal of the season came in a three-point effort in CU’s 6-0 win over Missouri. Puketapu scored the first goal in CU’s 2-1 win over Denver on her birthday. She played in 677 minutes, including a season-high 60 against Denver. Puketapu attempted 16 shots, putting eight of them on goal.

FRESHMAN (2017): Puketapu put together an impressive freshman season to lead CU to the second round of the NCAA Tournament and help the Buffs break school records for shutouts (14) and goals-against average (0.61). She was named to the Pac-12 All-Freshman team after leading CU with eight goals and 18 points, assisting on two goals, and attempting 29 shots (16 on goal). She started 14 matches and played in 20 as a striker, seeing 1,117 minutes of action on the pitch. She ranked second in the Pac-12 in game-winning goals (5) and was seventh in goals scored. Nationally, she ranked 22nd in game-winning goals and 135th in total goals. Among freshmen, Puketapu was third in the Pac-12 in goals and 20th nationally. After going scoreless in her first three collegiate matches, she exploded for three goals in a 6-0 win over UC Riverside. She scored in the fifth, 20th and 22nd minutes of the contest, scoring her third goal at 21:44, the earliest hat trick in CU history. It was also just the second hat trick ever by a CU freshman. Puketapu added an assist vs. UCR as well, and her seven points were the third-most ever for a CU player. She scored a goal at UTSA on Sept. 10 in the 52nd minute of a 2-0 win on a strike from the top of the box. She again scored the first goal of a 2-0 win, this time at Washington State on Sept. 28. She had a brace against Arizona State on Oct. 19, finding the net in the fifth minute and again in the 31st minute as the Buffs won 3-0 over the Sun Devils. Her final goal of the season lifted the Buffs to a 1-0 victory at Oregon State on Oct. 26, scoring in the 52nd minute. She assisted on Taylor Kornieck’s game-winning goal in the 52nd minute in the first round of the NCAA Tournament as CU rallied from a halftime deficit to defeat Denver 2-1 on Nov. 12.

INTERNATIONAL EXPERIENCE: Puketapu has played for multiple New Zealand national teams, including most recently the full national team. She appeared in three matches with the full national team at the Cyprus Cup in 2017, playing the final two minutes against Austria, 10 minutes against Korea Republic, and 20 minutes against Hungary to help the Football Ferns go 1-2 in the tournament. In September, she came on as a late substitute vs. the USWNT in a friendly in Cincinnati, and dressed vs. the United States for a match in Denver, but did not play due to injury. In 2016 she played with the U-20 team. She has scored 26 goals in her career in international competition with the U-17, U-18 and U-20 teams, including six in 2016 with the U-20 team.

CLUB TEAM: Puketapu played for Three Kings United in Auckland. During the 2016 season, she led the league with 27 goals in 18 games. Three Kings United won the league championship as well.

HIGH SCHOOL: She graduated from Epsom Girls Grammer School in Auckland in Dec. 2015. She was voted Sportswoman of the Year at her high school as a junior.

IN THE CLASSROOM: Puketapu plans on majoring in psychology and is also interested in sociology. She loves interacting with people so she says sociology would help her learn more about the behaviors of people.

PERSONAL: She was born Martine Puketapu on Sept. 16, 1997 to Jim Puketapu and Barbara Leyland. She has an older brother Reuben. She chose Colorado because “the support and facilities available are to the highest level I have seen compared to any other university and I have a strong belief that I can become a stronger, fitter and better player being here. I had a gut feeling that I will build myself significantly not only as a player, but a person also. The location of the university also reminds me of home and to have that whilst traveling is a real privilege."