Tag: Ryleigh Heck

Ryleigh Heck captures well-deserved National Player of the Year honor

UNC Field Hockey sophomore Ryleigh Heck, who scored the winning shootout goal in the 2023 National Championship, is also Player of the Year.

If it weren’t for sophomore Ryleigh Heck, there’s a strong chance the UNC Field Hockey team wouldn’t be celebrating its 11th National Championship.

With the Tar Heels and Northwestern Wildcats failing to break a 1-1 tie in overtime, a shootout ensued. Carolina took a one-goal lead in the shootout, only for Northwestern to score two straight and grab that lead right back.

UNC tied the shootout at two on its next attempt, which then set up the visiting Wildcats for a sudden death conversion attempt. Tar Heels goalie Maddie Kahn saved Northwestern’s attempt, which then gave Heck a chance to win it all.

Heck did exactly that, drawing Wildcats goalie Annabelle Skubitz out of net. Heck spun around, put the ball on her stick, then blasted it into the goal and sent Chapel Hill into pandamonium.

As a result of her National Championship performance, which was just a microcosm of her successful Year Two as a collegiate field hockey player, Heck was tabbed the National Field Hockey Coaches Association’s National Player of the Year.

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Heck ended her sophomore season with 13 goals, second-most on the Tar Heels behind freshman Charly Bruder, who started the title game scoring with a 33rd-minute tally. Heck and Bruder were the lone Tar Heels with double-digit goals, as Paityn Wirth was the next closest with seven goals.

With Heck expected to come back next year, barring a transfer, UNC should be a favorite to repeat and capture its 12th Natty.

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Ryleigh Heck’s shootout goals helps UNC capture 11th Field Hockey title

A Maddie Kahn save kept UNC in the NCAA Field Hockey National Championship, then a Ryleigh Heck shootout goal ended it.

If not for a desperation save by Maddie Kahn in the second overtime of Sunday’s NCAA Field Hockey National Championship game, UNC might not be standing where it is now.

Because of that sprawling save, which came on an odd-woman rush for Northwestern, the Tar Heels had a chance to win in a shootout.

That’s exactly what UNC did.

After falling behind by a goal in the overtime shootout, sophomore Ryleigh Heck completed the comeback with a goal of her own, giving the Tar Heels a 2-1 and helping them capture their 11th National Championship.

UNC took a 1-0 lead in the shootout, then missed on its next couple attempts. Northwestern took advantage of this, jumping ahead 2-1 (in the shootout) and needing just one Annabel Skubisz save, to capture its second title in three years.

Carolina tied things up on their next shot, then went into sudden-death shootout mode. Kahn came up with another clutch save, then Heck sent Chapel Hill into pandamonium with her game-winner.

UNC extended its record for most national championships, moving two ahead of Old Dominion and winning it all for the second straight year. What makes this year’s natty that much more impressive however, was that it came in Erin Matson’s first year as head coach.

Matson is arguably the greatest player in program history, plus one of the most decorated Tar Heels across all sports. She helped UNC win the ACC Championships in all five seasons as a player (2018-2022), in addition to four National Championships (2018-2020, 2022).

The fact that Carolina is already finding championship-level success, with a first-year head coach, bodes really well for the future.

But for now, the Tar Heels are going to bask in the glory of their new title.