Romea Riccardo

Position:
Back
Height:
5-7
Class:
Senior
Hometown:
Downingtown, Pa.
High School:
Downingtown West

Double major in media & journalism and communication studies ... Team captain as a senior ... Including a redshirt season and a Covid season, she was a member of five NCAA title teams and six ACC championships .. Her first name is pronounced "ro-MAY" ... Younger sister Ciana is also a member of the UNC squad

2023: As a fifth-year player, started all 21 games for the NCAA and ACC Champions ... Finished with eight assists, tied for second on the team ... All-ACC Academic Team for the second year in a row

2022: As a senior, started all 21 games on the Tar Heel back line ... Part of a unit that led Carolina to nine shutouts during its NCAA Championship season ... Named to the All-ACC Academic Team ... As one of the team's primary stick-stoppers, finished with seven assists, fourth on the team ... Her aerial set up the gamewinning goal in the NCAA Championship win over Northwestern

2021: Appeared in 16 games and started 14 on the back line ... Provided three assists, two in the win at Drexel and one against Duke

2020-21: Started all 20 games on the back line ... Team leader in assists with 10 as one of the team's primary stick-stoppers ... Her average of .50 assists per game tied for the ACC lead ... Scored a goal, the first of her UNC career, in the 10/4/20 win over Duke

2019: As a redshirt freshman, started all year on the back line ... The only game for which she wasn't in the starting lineup was Saint Joseph's, which was Senior Day and all eight seniors started the game ... Had assists against Albany and Boston College ... Against BC in the regular-season matchup, assisted on the game-winning goal (by Yentl Leemans on a penalty corner) in the 58th minute of play.

2018: Did not see action during the season and will count it as a redshirt year

Before UNC: At Downingtown West, played field hockey all four years, earning Chesmont championships in 2015, 2017 and 2018, and a district championship in 2018 ... Named all-league each year and all-area in her sophomore through senior seasons ... Also played basketball and lacrosse her freshman year and ran track in her sophomore and junior years ... Member of WC Eagles Field Hockey Club for 12 years

More on Riccardo: Daughter of Janet and Jeff Riccardo ... Is the oldest of eight siblings, with four younger sisters and three younger brothers ... Her mother played lacrosse at West Chester ... Favorite pastimes are watching college basketball and NFL football ... Favorite sport other than hockey is track ... Athlete she admires most is Michael Jordan ... Dream job is to be a nurse