Field Hockey Spoils Stanford’s Conference Opener, Wins 8-1 On The Road

Friday, September 25

Stanford, Calif.

9 PM ET

North Carolina

(5-4, 2-0)

Stanford

(7-3, 0-2)

Team	1	2	3	4	Final F
North Carolina	1	2	3	2	8
Stanford	0	0	0	1	1

Game Notes

Field Hockey Spoils Stanford’s Conference Opener, Wins 8-1 On The Road

September 26, 2026 | Field Hockey

Box Score

By: Nathan Kime

STANFORD, Calif. - North Carolina field hockey took care of business on Friday night at Varsity Field, dismantling Stanford in an 8-1 win in the first of a five-game road stretch for Carolina.

The Tar Heels (4-4, 1-1 ACC) produced their highest offensive output of the season and matched their best from last year when they hit for the same score against the Cardinal. Six different Heels found the back of the net, highlighted by a pair of pairs Coco Courtright and Ryleigh Heck.

Heck and fellow fifth-year grad students Sietske Brüning and Dani Mendez were granted another year of eligibility earlier this week and were thus allowed to return to the field for head coach Erin Matson's squad. The trio of All-Americans brought immediate added confidence to an already talented group.

"Obviously it's great having Ryleigh, Sietske and Dani back out on the field and they had a great game all three of them," said Matson after the game. "Everybody knows how happy it makes us to have them back out there, but what I mainly wnat to highlight is how you can see how much fun everybody else on the field had. How confident they were today."

The Heels wasted no time setting up shop, getting four shots off against Stanford in the first four minutes. Brüning sent the first shot on goal for UNC, picking up right where she left off.

Towards the end of the first quarter, Heck found a streaking Charly Bruder for a look at goal that was saved by Stanford's Anya Jackson. Sofia Ferri received the rebound on cleanup duty and scored, putting the Heels out in front first.

The second quarter belonged to Coco Courtright. The junior bagged her second goal of the season on a precise smash off a penalty corner. Within the next minute of the game, Carolina found themselves right back in the circle with a corner attempt and it was Courtright again lacing it into the back of the net to make her first career multi-goal game. It was then 3-0 in favor of Carolina.

The Heels came out in the second half on the attack, scoring twice within the first three minutes. Carolina got their fourth through some slick passing, moving the ball around from Hope Haynes in defense to Bruder at the top of the circle down to the right post to Heck who sent it across to assist a wide-open Molly Catchpole. Building off of that, UNC flew down the field again as Reese Anetsberger sent a perfect leading pass to set up a backhand beam from Bruder, upping the score to 5-0.

Carolina stayed in the flames, with Heck finding herself in perfect position to finish off a rebound for the game's sixth goal. It was the Ocean City, N.J., native again in the fourth quarter who made it 7-0 with a deflection off a smart pass from Anetsberger.

With about six minutes left in the game, UNC set up for their 11th and final corner. Haynes continued the Carolina offensive clinic, scoring the eight goal of the night for the visitors.

The Cardinal avoided the shutout with a late goal to make it 8-1. The Heels' defense was superb all evening, allowing just four shots.

The Tar Heels will be back in action on Sunday, Sept. 27 at 4 p.m. ET as they take on No. 17 Cal to close out their west coast roadtrip.