
UNC sophomore forward Ryleigh Heck was named the winner of the 2024 Honda Sport Award for field hockey on Tuesday. She is the sixth Tar Heel to win the award, after Leslie Lyness (1989), Cindy Werley (1996 and 1997), Rachel Dawson (2007), Ashley Hoffman (2018) and Heck’s head coach, Erin Matson (2019, 2020 and 2022).
โLike any award, this is a team award,” said Matson. “But Ryleigh’s commitment, drive, execution in crucial moments, and so much more have given her a spot on a very elite list. We are all so proud of Ryleigh and how she represents our program and our university.โ
Heck led Carolina in scoring this season with 34 points (13 goals, eight assists). She was named first team All-ACC, ACC Tournament MVP and scored the winning penalty stroke in a shootout against Northwestern in the national championship game. The National Field Hockey Coaches Association named Heck its Division 1 National Player of the Year.
โI would like to acknowledge my teammates, coaches, and everyone in the field hockey community who supported me,” Heck said. “I want to give a big thank you to Erin, Coach [Karen] Shelton, all the coaching staff, my parents and teammates who played a huge role in my journey. Their guidance and encouragement helped me get here. This award is not just mine; it’s a result of everyone’s hard work in our field hockey program.”
As a Honda Sport Award winner, Heck is now a finalist for the Collegiate Woman Athlete of the Year and the Honda Cup, which will be presented on June 24 in New York City.
Featured image via UNC Athletic Communications
Chapelboro.comย does not charge subscription fees, and you canย directly support our efforts in local journalismย here. Want more of what you see on Chapelboro? Let us bring free local news and community information to you byย signing up for our biweekly newsletter.
Related Stories
‹

UNC Field Hockey's Erin Matson Wins Honda Sport Award for 3rd TimeErin Matson, who won four national championships in five seasons with the UNC field hockey program, was named as the winner of the Honda Sport Award for Field Hockey on Tuesday. It’s the third time in her career Matson has won the award, making her just the second player ever to accomplish this. The first […]

UNC Field Hockey Drops First Game of 2025 Season at No. 13 Wake ForestA double-overtime winner from No. 13 Wake Forest helped the Demon Deacons upset UNC 2-1 in Winston-Salem Friday evening. It’s the Tar Heels’ first loss this season and second loss in ACC play in three seasons under head coach Erin Matson. The game was a defensive struggle throughout, entering the fourth quarter in a scoreless […]

UNC Field Hockey Cruises Past Cal and Stanford to Open ACC PlayCarolina defeated both Cal and Stanford at Karen Shelton Stadium during the weekend to continue its perfect start to the 2025 season. The two games were the first ACC contests of the season for the Tar Heels. Against Cal Friday evening, Ryleigh Heck paced the UNC offense by assisting Charly Bruder for the Tar Heels’ […]

UNC Field Hockey Beats App State and Liberty in First Home Games of 2025Carolina opened its 2025 home season at Karen Shelton Stadium with wins against Appalachian State and Liberty during the weekend. On Friday against the Mountaineers, No. 2 UNC took the lead inside of a minute and led 2-0 after the first quarter thanks to goals from Ryleigh Heck and Charly Bruder. Bruder struck again in […]

UNC Field Hockey Beats Penn, No. 10 Princeton in Ivy League WeekendCarolina beat both Penn and No. 10 Princeton as part of the ACC-Ivy League Conference Crossover in New Jersey during the weekend. In the first game against Penn Friday afternoon, five different Tar Heels accounted for six total goals in a dominant offensive display. UNC led 2-0 inside of eight minutes played, scored two goals […]

UNC Field Hockey Sweeps ACC-Big Ten Challenge to Open 2025 SeasonNo. 2 UNC beat both No. 7 Michigan and No. 15 Iowa to sweep the ACC-Big Ten Challenge in Iowa City, IA during Labor Day weekend. In the first game against the Wolverines Friday afternoon, goals from Ryleigh Heck and her sister Kara helped the Tar Heels to a 3-0 shutout victory. Ryleigh Heck, the […]

Chansky's Notebook: The Flying DutchArt Chansky breaks down the season outlook for the UNC field hockey team in Erin Matson's third year as head coach.

Chansky's Notebook: Let's Go, Ladies!The UNC field hockey and women's soccer programs are set to be nationally competitive once again this fall.

UNC Field Hockey Announces 2025 Regular Season ScheduleThe UNC field hockey program has announced its 2025 regular-season schedule. The Tar Heels are looking to reach at least the NCAA semifinals for the fourth consecutive season. Tell a friend to tell a friend, ๐๐ต๐ฒ ๐๐ฒ๐ฒ๐น๐ ๐ฎ๐ฟ๐ฒ ๐ฝ๐ผ๐พ๐! The 2025 schedule is here ๐ pic.twitter.com/LPFCFpGp6A — Carolina Field Hockey (@UNCFieldHockey) July 18, 2025 The […]

'We're Walking a Fine Line': UNC's Erin Matson Talks House Settlement, New AD and Upcoming SeasonUNC field hockey head coach Erin Matson joined 97.9 The Hill’s Brighton McConnell for a wide-ranging conversation Monday. Matson discussed the effects of the House settlement on her program, the hiring of Steve Newmark athletic director-in-waiting and preparations for the 2025 season. Read Matson’s comments, which have been lightly edited for clarity, below, orย click here […]
›