Heck Ties Program Record In Dominant Win Over Stanford

Sunday, September 21

Chapel Hill

1 PM

North Carolina

(8-0, 2-0)

Stanford

(3-5, 0-2)

Stanford

North Carolina

Photo by: DALTON T. WAINSCOTT

September 21, 2025 | Field Hockey

Box Score

By: William Soulé

CHAPEL HILL, N.C. – Senior forward Ryleigh Heck tied the program's single-game high with five goals in North Carolina field hockey's 8-1 win over Stanford on Sunday afternoon in Karen Shelton Stadium.

The Tar Heels (8-0, 2-0 ACC) scored their most goals in a game since Sept. 5, 2021, against Penn and their most in a conference contest since an 8-0 win over Wake Forest on Oct. 28, 1992. It is the sixth time in history they've put up eight or more on a conference opponent.

The captain Heck highlighted the day for Carolina, putting five past the Cardinal with four coming in the first half. It was the most goals scored in a game by a Tar Heel since Gab Major had the same number against Virginia back in 2015. It is one of the rare records her head coach Erin Matson doesn't have her name attached to.

"She obviously means so much to this program," Matson said of Heck after the game. "On the field what she does and what she is able to create, but also in terms of what she means to our sport and the way she represents it. It's really fun to be able to coach someone like her and we're really really happy she's a Tar Heel."

The five goal outburst also catapulted Heck into the top-10 on the Carolina career goals list, giving her the eighth most all-time and sitting just two behind Kristen McCann in seventh. Her career high goals number in a season is 18 from her freshman year, she is on pace to beat that mark in four games.

Fellow dynamic goal-threat Charly Bruder quietly scored two of her against the Cardinal, netting the first and final goals of the afternoon. Both came off penalty corner sets. The opener she finished off by recovering her own rebound and smashing home to the upper half of the net. The finale was a straightforward smash off a Reese Anetsberger trap, the Bruder special.

Overshadowed only by a historic night from Heck, sophomore midfielder Ella Barbacci scored her first career goal with a nice, backhanded slap that beat the goalkeeper. It was the biggest celebration of the game for the Harvey's Lake, Pa., native in her third year with the program.

The Tar Heels head back out on the road next weekend for a pair of conference contests. Friday night the team will head down the turnpike to face off with Wake Forest before a longer trek north to take on Boston Collee on Sunday.