No. 1 UNC field hockey had a welcome homecoming as it played its first games in Karen Shelton Stadium after nearly a month on the road, sweeping both Old Dominion on Sunday and Wake Forest on Friday night.

Sunday’s matchup saw the Tar Heels earn a 3-1 victory thanks to late heroics from forward Ryleigh Heck. Carolina and Old Dominion entered the fourth quarter tied at 1-1 — but just one minute into the final period, Heck received a pass deep along the left side of the end line. She made a solo run toward the goal and chipped a shot over ODU’s keeper to give Carolina the advantage. The goal marked Heck’s ninth of her junior campaign.

UNC’s star forward Charly Bruder also found the back of the net with eight minutes remaining in the fourth quarter to double the team’s advantage. She also scored the Tar Heels’ first goal, as she was assisted by Sanne Hak just three minutes into the game. Bruder now stands with 17 goals on the season — by far the most on the team.

The duo of Bruder and Heck, who lead the ACC in points per game, also ran roughshod over Wake Forest on Friday during a 7-0 rout by the Tar Heels. Heck opened the scoring just one minute in the match, with Bruder adding a second for UNC four minutes later and a third goal in the second period.

Senior forward Kennedy Cliggett scored Carolina’s first goal of the second half — which was also her first on the season — while Lisa Slinkert added Carolina’s fifth in the third quarter, and Hak and Sietske Brüning added two more in the final period.

Head coach Erin Matson and her program will now prepare for a pair of top ten matchups at home next weekend. UNC will host No. 4 Virginia on Friday, Oct. 25 before playing No. 9 Boston College on Sunday, Oct. 27.

 

Featured photo via Matt Clements.

Chapelboro.com does not charge subscription fees, and you can directly support our efforts in local journalism here. Want more of what you see on Chapelboro? Let us bring free local news and community information to you by signing up for our newsletter.

Related Stories
‹
Boylan's Overtime Winner Against Wake Secures UNC's Tournament Bid
Bryn Boylan scored on a penalty stroke just over three minutes into the second overtime period on Friday afternoon in Chapel Hill, lifting the top-ranked UNC field hockey team to a 3-2 victory over Wake Forest. The win secured the ACC’s automatic bid to the 2020 NCAA Tournament for UNC, which improves to 16-1 for […]
UNC Field Hockey Blanks Wake Forest for Second Spring Shutout
Erin Matson scored twice on Saturday in Winston-Salem, guiding the UNC field hockey team to a 2-0 victory over Wake Forest. This marks the second consecutive 2-0 win for the Tar Heels (11-1) to begin the spring season, after dispatching Louisville by the same score last weekend. Each of Matson’s goals came within the first […]
UNC Field Hockey Dominates Wake Forest in Regular Season Finale
The UNC field hockey team closed out its regular season in style on Friday evening at Karen Shelton Stadium, rolling to a 5-0 shutout victory over the Wake Forest Demon Deacons. All-American Erin Matson scored three goals to lead the Tar Heels (7-1), who won their sixth straight game after having their ACC-record 47-game win […]
Field Hockey: Winning Streak Extended to 47 Games as UNC Opens Season With Win Over Wake Forest
After back-to-back undefeated seasons capped off with national championships, the UNC field hockey team stayed true to form in its 2020 season opener on Sunday, defeating the Wake Forest Demon Deacons in Chapel Hill by a score of 3-1. Cassie Sumfest, Erin Matson and Meredith Sholder each scored for the Tar Heels (1-0), who racked […]
No. 1 UNC Field Hockey Stays Unbeaten With Slim Win Over No. 19 Old Dominion
Make it 39 consecutive victories for the top-ranked UNC field hockey team, which earned a tight 1-0 victory over the No. 19 Old Dominion Monarchs on Sunday in Chapel Hill. Senior Megan DuVernois found the back of the net in the 41st minute off of a pass from teammate Hannah Griggs, marking the only scoring […]
Field Hockey: No. 1 UNC Drops No. 20 Wake Forest, Sets ACC Record With 36th Straight Victory
The top-ranked UNC field hockey team set a new ACC record on Friday evening in Winston Salem, defeating the No. 20 Wake Forest Demon Deacons 3-1 for what was the Tar Heels’ 36th consecutive victory. That streak dates back to 2017, as UNC went 23-0 last season on the way to the national championship. Marissa […]
Field Hockey: Top-Ranked UNC Beats Wake Forest 4-1 to Advance to NCAA Championship Game
Just one more game sits between the top-ranked UNC field hockey team and its first national championship since 2009. An early offensive blitz that saw the undefeated Tar Heels score four unanswered goals in the first half led head coach Karen Shelton’s team to a 4-1 victory over the Wake Forest Demon Deacons in Friday’s […]
UNC Field Hockey Demolishes Wake Forest to Snag 21st ACC Tournament Championship, Remain Undefeated in 2018
With a chance to claim the 21st ACC Tournament championship in program history on Sunday at Karen Shelton Stadium in Chapel Hill, the top-ranked UNC field hockey team did not disappoint. The Tar Heels rolled to a 7-2 blowout over the visiting Wake Forest Demon Deacons to win the title–earning an automatic berth in the […]
Top-Ranked UNC Field Hockey Team Moves to 12-0 With Win Over No. 16 Wake Forest
Another game, another win for the top-ranked UNC field hockey team, which defeated No. 16 Wake Forest 5-1 on Saturday in Chapel Hill–improving its season record to 12-0 so far in 2018. The Tar Heels took a slim 1-0 lead into halftime thanks to a goal from Catherine Hayden, before exploding for four goals in […]
UNC Field Hockey Advances to ACC Semifinals With Win Over Wake Forest
A 3-2 victory over the No. 4 seed Wake Forest Demon Deacons Thursday afternoon was enough to send the fifth-seeded Tar Heels to the semifinals of the ACC Field Hockey Tournament in Louisville. Ashley Hoffman, Feline Guenther and Marissa Creatore each scored a goal for UNC (14-4), which moves on to face top-seeded Virginia in […]
›