University of North Carolina Athletics
Ryleigh Heck, with head coach Erin Matson, has been named the NFHCA DI National Player of the Year
Photo by: ANTHONY SORBELLINI
Heck Voted NFHCA National Player Of The Year
December 15, 2023 | Field Hockey
UNC sophomore Ryleigh Heck has been named the Division I National Player of the Year by the National Field Hockey Coaches Association (NFHCA), which announced its top student-athlete awards on Friday.
The forward from Ocean City, N.J., was voted NFHCA South Region Player of the Year earlier this month, making her a candidate for the honor. She's the third Tar Heel on the fifth occasion to win the NFHCA award, following Katelyn Falgowski in 2011 and Erin Matson in 2019, 2020 and 2022.
As a National Player of the Year honoree, Heck's No. 12 jersey will be retired following her career.
In 2023, Heck led the Tar Heels in scoring with 34 points on 13 goals and eight assists. A first-team All-ACC pick for the second year in a row, she was the MVP of the ACC Tournament as Carolina won its seventh title in a row and 26th overall.
In the NCAA title game, Heck scored the deciding goal in the sudden death penalty shootout after the game against Northwestern was still tied at 1-1 after double overtime. The Tar Heel title is the team's 11th overall and fifth in the past six seasons.
The forward from Ocean City, N.J., was voted NFHCA South Region Player of the Year earlier this month, making her a candidate for the honor. She's the third Tar Heel on the fifth occasion to win the NFHCA award, following Katelyn Falgowski in 2011 and Erin Matson in 2019, 2020 and 2022.
As a National Player of the Year honoree, Heck's No. 12 jersey will be retired following her career.
In 2023, Heck led the Tar Heels in scoring with 34 points on 13 goals and eight assists. A first-team All-ACC pick for the second year in a row, she was the MVP of the ACC Tournament as Carolina won its seventh title in a row and 26th overall.
In the NCAA title game, Heck scored the deciding goal in the sudden death penalty shootout after the game against Northwestern was still tied at 1-1 after double overtime. The Tar Heel title is the team's 11th overall and fifth in the past six seasons.
Players Mentioned
Forward
/ Field HockeyWarm Up with Wells Fargo – Men’s Basketball vs. FSU – December 30, 2025
Thursday, January 08
Checking In With Hubert Davis - January 6, 2025
Tuesday, January 06
WBB: Post-Stanford Press Conference - January 4, 2026
Sunday, January 04
WBB: Post-Cal Press Conference - Jan. 1, 2026
Thursday, January 01