Heels Win Top-10 Test Against Liberty

Sunday, September 14

Chapel Hill

12 PM

North Carolina

(6-0, 0-0)

Liberty

(4-1, 0-0)

Liberty

North Carolina

Photo by: Ainsley E. Fauth

September 14, 2025 | Field Hockey

Box Score Photo Gallery

By: William Soulé

CHAPEL HILL, N.C. – Carolina field hockey picked up its fourth ranked win of the year on Sunday afternoon in an impressive 3-1 effort against No. 9 Liberty.

The Tar Heels (6-0) scored inside the first minute for the second straight game and outshot the Flames 16-4 to pick up the victory. Surprisingly, it is the first time since the inaugural season at Karen Shelton Stadium that Carolina has beaten Liberty at home and the first time head coach Erin Matson was able to do so.

"We're really proud of their efforts today," Matson said after the win. "We knew today as going to be even more of a battle than it was on Friday. Liberty always comes out with a fire and feistiness, but the Heels showed up and leaned into the battle."

True freshman Reese Anetsberger opened the scoring quickly by putting away a rebound on the exact stroke of the first minute of the contest. The Northbrook, Ill., product has started every game so far in her young career and has been extremely impactful. Today's goal was her second and first at home.

Carolina's second came just before halftime. A true end to end team goal, the ball traveled from Isabel Boere with her heels against her own backline to Anetsberger who carried through the midfield and found Sanne Hak. Then it was Hak's turn to thread the needle through the Liberty defense to find a waiting Ryleigh Heck who put it away at the back post.

The Flames pulled within a score as time expired in the third thanks to a goal off a penalty corner, but the Carolina defense held tough even when Liberty pulled their goalkeeper late in the fourth.

UNC earned a corner of their own with no opposing goalie in the game, and it was almost too easy for Charly Bruder from there. The junior forward scored her fifth goal in just four games to seal the win.

The Tar Heels have another weekend in the friendly confines of Shelton Stadium coming up. The team opens ACC play with games against Cal on Friday at 6 p.m. ET and Stanford on Sunday at 1 p.m. ET.