Matson, Heck Earn National Honors From Bolster Field Hockey

Two Tar Heels have earned national honors from Bolster Field Hockey, as announced on Friday. Senior Erin Matson was named the National Player of the Year and Ryleigh Heck was selected as the National Freshman of the Year.

Matson and Heck, both members of the U.S. National Team, started on the front line for UNC in 2022 as the team finished 21-0 and earned the program's 10^th NCAA Championship and its 25^th Atlantic Coast Conference title.

Matson, from Chadds Ford, Pa., received the Bolster honor for the second year in row. (The award is in its second year.) She also has been named the 2022 National Field Hockey Coaches Association (NFHCA) National Player of the Year, earning that honor for the third time in her career. In 2022 she scored 28 goals and added 10 assists while moving into the top spot on the ACC's all-time scoring and goals lists. She is a five-time ACC Offensive Player of the Year and a five-time member of the NFHCA All-America first team.

Matson graduated from UNC this month with a degree in advertising & PR.

Heck, from North Beach, N.J., quickly made an impact in her first season of collegiate play. She ranked second on the team with 18 goals, and her goals against average of 0.86 per game tied for seventh in the nation. She was voted the ACC Freshman of the Year and earned second-team All-America honors.

Both Matson and Heck were named to the All-ACC Tournament and All-NCAA Tournament teams for their postseason play.

Players Mentioned

Ryleigh Heck

Erin Matson

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