After her team’s quest for a championship four-peat fell short, UNC field hockey head coach Karen Shelton is already re-tooling the program for next season. Shelton announced Tuesday that Carolina alumna Caitlin Van Sickle, a starting defender on the Tar Heels’ 2009 NCAA championship team, would be returning to the team as an assistant coach, effective immediately.

“I am thrilled to welcome Caitlin Van Sickle back to Chapel Hill,” Shelton said. “She’s one of the greatest Tar Heels to ever wear the uniform and she’ll bring a wealth of knowledge and experience to our team. She will undoubtedly inspire our current players and we’re so excited to have her join our staff.”

Van Sickle spent the 2021 season as an assistant coach at Princeton. The Tar Heels defeated the Tigers last season, 4-1.

During her time at Carolina, Van Sickle started all four seasons from 2009 through 2012. She earned first team All-ACC, All-ACC Tournament and first team All-America honors for her sophomore, junior and senior seasons, and won the ACC Tournament MVP award as a senior. The Tar Heels appeared in the NCAA championship game each year Van Sickle played, and she assisted on Carolina’s championship-winning goal in 2009. UNC’s Defensive Player of the Year Award is named in her honor.

“There is no greater honor than returning to my alma mater, a place that has always held a special place in my heart,” Van Sickle said. “I look forward to meeting the team and getting started with our spring training.”

UNC is once again expected to compete for a national championship in the fall, as it returns several key players from 2021, including National Player of the Year Erin Matson.

 

Featured image via UNC Athletic Communications

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