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The North Carolina Tar Heels field hockey team will seek their seventh consecutive ACC championship as the 2023 season starts this weekend.
The Tar Heels were awarded 45 points and four first-place votes by the conference’s head coaches. Virginia trailed closely, securing second place with 42 points and three top votes.
Sietske Brüning and Ryleigh Heck, both sophomores from the Tar Heels, have secured spots on the Preseason All-ACC Team. These two players, who received All-ACC accolades last season, are part of an elite group of 11 players chosen for the preseason lineup.
Ryleigh Heck, a forward, distinguished herself as the ACC Freshman of the Year in 2022 and made it to the All-ACC first team. Sietske Brüning, playing as a midfielder, earned a spot on the All-ACC second team during her freshman year.
Both student-athletes were integral to the starting lineup throughout the previous season, contributing significantly to the Tar Heels’ undefeated streak that culminated in their 10th NCAA Championship victory.
The other pivotal storyline this season is rookie head coach Erin Matson. One of the greatest athletes in all of Carolina’s history, the young head coach will face a new challenge as head of the program.
Below is the schedule for the 2023 season:
2023 Field Hockey Schedule
| Date | Time | At | Opponent | Location | TV | Tournament |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Date | Time | At | Opponent | Location | TV | Tournament |
| August 25, 2023 (Friday) | 8:30 | Home | Michigan | Chapel Hill | ACCN | ACC-Big Ten Challenge |
| August 27, 2023 (Sunday) | 1 | Home | Iowa | Chapel Hill | ACCNX | ACC-Big Ten Challenge |
| September 1, 2023 (Friday) | 2 | Away | Penn | Philadelphia, Pa. | ESPN+ | ACC-Ivy Challenge |
| September 3, 2023 (Sunday) | 10:30 | Neutral | Princeton | Philadelphia, Pa. | ACC-Ivy Challenge | |
| September 10, 2023 (Sunday) | Noon | Away | Old Dominion | Norfolk, Va. | ||
| September 15, 2023 (Friday) | 3 | Home | Louisville | Chapel Hill | ACCNX | |
| September 22, 2023 (Friday) | 5 | Away | Wake Forest | Winston-Salem, N.C. | ACCNX | |
| September 24, 2023 (Sunday) | Noon | Home | Appalachian State | Chapel Hill | ACCNX | |
| October 1, 2023 (Sunday) | 1 | Away | Saint Joseph's | Philadelphia, Pa. | ||
| October 6, 2023 (Friday) | 4 | Home | Boston College | Chapel Hill | ACCNX | |
| October 8, 2023 (Sunday) | 2 | Home | Liberty | Chapel Hill | ACCNX | |
| October 13, 2023 (Friday) | 4 | Away | Syracuse | Syracuse, N.Y. | ||
| October 15, 2023 (Sunday) | Noon | Away | UAlbany | Albany, N.Y. | ||
| October 20, 2023 (Friday) | 4 | Away | Virginia | Charlottesville, Va. | ACCNX | |
| October 27, 2023 (Friday) | 6 | Home | Duke | Chapel Hill | ACCN | |
| October 31, 2023 (Tuesday) | TBA | Neutral | ACC Quarterfinals | Charlottesville, Va. | ACCN | ACC Championship |
| November 1, 2023 (Wednesday) | TBA | Neutral | ACC Semifinals | Charlottesville, Va. | ACCN | ACC Championship |
| November 3, 2023 (Friday) | TBA | Neutral | ACC Finals | Charlottesville, Va. | ACCN | ACC Championship |
| November 10, 2023 (Friday) | TBA | Neutral | NCAA First Round | Campus Sites | NCAA Tournament | |
| November 12, 2023 (Sunday) | TBA | Neutral | NCAA Second Round | Campus Sites | NCAA Tournament | |
| November 17, 2023 (Friday) | TBA | Home | NCAA Semifinals | Chapel Hill | NCAA Tournament | |
| November 19, 2023 (Sunday) | TBA | Home | NCAA Championship | Chapel Hill | NCAA Tournament |
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