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UNC Field Hockey 2026-2027

3397char

3397char

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The 2026 roster has not yet been created on the official site' I will update here when completed.

Starters Lost:
  1. F Ryleigh Heck (2x NPOY, 3x 1st Team A-A, 4x All-ACC, ACC POY, 19 goals, 13 assts) - graduated
  2. MF Dani Mendez (NFHCA 2nd Team A-A, 15 goals, 16 assts) - graduated
  3. B/MF Sietske Bruning (3x NFHCA 2nd Team A-A, 2nd Team, All-ACC, 6 assts, team leadership award) - graduated
  4. B Isabele Boere (2nd Team All-ACC, 2nd team all-region, started every game at center back, 9 goals, 8 assts on PCs) - returned to Netherlands?
  5. Sr MF Sanne Hak - 3 year starter, 3x All-Region player, 7 goals, 10 assts - graduated
  6. GK Kate Wimmer (finished at UNC as the NCAA active career leader in saves, split time in Goal 50/50, played in every game)
  • F Kara Heck (4 starts when Bruder was out, 8 goals, 5 assts) - graduated
Starters Returning:
  1. Sr F Charly Bruder (NFHCA 2nd Team A-A, All ACC) - 2025 4th in ACC in goals (18), 6 assts - lead the nation in goals in 2024 (27)
  2. Sr B Grace Pottebaum - 2 year starter, named team DPOY at awards banquet
  3. So F Reese Annetsberger - 23 starts (every game) as a freshman, All-ACC Tourney team, 5 goals, 6 assts
  4. Jr B Hope Haynes - 23 starts
  5. Sr MF Molly Catchpole - 23 starts, 0 goals, 1 asst
  6. So GK Merritt Skubisz - .704 save percentage, split time in Goal 50/50, played in every game, team rookie of the year award
  • So B Coco Courtright (6 starts when Bruning was out, 1 goal, 2 assts, named team most improved player)
Notable Young Players:
  • R-FR MF Reid Miller - Redshirted in 2025, but currently on the U-21 USJWNT, HS 2nd Team A-A, HS #51-100 MaxFH
  • So MF/F Eliza Perrin - Played in 21 games, 3 goals, 1 asst. HS 1st Team A-A
  • R-FR Jenna Narleski - Redshirted in 2025, HS 2nd Team A-A,, HS Top 51-100 MaxFH
  • R-FR Olivia Anderson - played in 4 games, then redshirted in 2025, HS Top 51-100 MaxFH
Incoming Class of 2026:
Player_NamePositionMaxFH_RankUSYNT_and_AwardsHigh_School_&_StateClub_TeamHighlightsSigned
Sofia FerriMF/DTop 10, 2x MaxFH A-AU-16, U-18 & U-21 USJWNT, JR Olympics, USWNIT, 2025 NFHCA 1st Team A-AThe Hill School (PA)WC EaglesYes
Morgan O'DonnellDTop 10, 2025 Max FH 2nd Team A-AU-16 & U-18 USJWNT, 2024 NFHCA All-Region 1st Team, JR OlympicsAvon Grove (PA)WC EaglesYes
Molly NussbaumerMFUnranked, 2025 Max FH A-A 2nd teamU-21 USJWNT, Nexus Club Championship, 2025 NFHCA 2nd Team A-AGardinal Gibbons (NC)Bull CityYes
Cecily MoorheadFN/AEngland U-16 and U-18 YNT, 5X England NPOYWellington College (Wimbeldon, UK)Surbiton HCYes
Devon AndersonD/MFCamp MVP, Conference 1st Team, 2024 NEPSAC 1st teamGreenwich Country Day (CT)AGHYes
Floor HolzenboschD/MFN/A2X Captain of Dutch National Youth Club Champion,
Dutch U-16 YNT Camp		Maerlant Lyceum (Den Haag, NED)SV Kampong, HDMIntro, highlightsYes
Imme De LeeuwD/MFN/ADutch U-18 YNT, captain of Euro indoor club champion(Amsterdam, NED)PinokeYes
Emersyn O'LearyMF1st Team all-ConferenceSaint Marks (DE)CWC EaglesWalk-on?

Official UNC 2026 recruiting class release
#5 Recruiting class according the Thefieldhockeyanalyst

Incoming transfers for 2026 season:
  1. Tessa Shahbo - Sr GK Harvard Bio
Class of 2027 Commits as of 5/13/26
Player_NamePositionMaxFH_RankOther_AwardsUSYNT_and_AwardsHigh_School_&_StateClub_TeamHighlightsSigned
Maeve McGinleyMFTop 10, 2025 Max FH A-A2025 USFHCA 2nd Team A-AUSJWNT, U-16 USJWNIT (indoor), 2026 USA U-18 Camp Invite,Academy of Notre Dame de Namur (PA)WC Eagles
Piper ReisbaneGK#51-100U-16 USJWNIT (indoor), U-17 USJWNIT (indoor)(PA)WC Eagles
Jack ShawMFTop 10, 2025 Max FH A-A2025 NFHCA 2nd Team A-AU-16 USJWNT, U-16 USJWNIT (indoor), 2026 USA U-18 Camp Invite,Villa Maria Academy (PA)WC Eagles

Class of 2028 Commits as of 5/13/26
Player_NamePositionMaxFH_RankOther_AwardsUSYNT_and_AwardsHigh_School_&_StateClub_TeamHighlightsSigned
Reese D'ArianoMFTop 10Youngest player ever to score a goal at the FIH Indoor World CupUSWNT, USWNIT, USJWNT, USJWNIT, Tourney MVP at the Indoor Pan Am Cup , 2X 'Young Player of the Tourney' at the FIH Indoor World CupHome schooled (PA)WC Eagles
*D'Ariano told IC Reporter Spencer Haskell in this interview she plans to take a gap year in 2027 to focus on the 2028 Olympics, postponing her college matriculation to 2028

UNC's Spring scrimmages did not provide much insight on starting lineups because many graduating players started.

The 2025-2026 Field Hockey Thread
 
Last edited:
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minas823

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Oct 13, 2025
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@3397char Thank you for putting this together! One edit (I believe) being that Sanne will not be returning 😢

After only having Boere for a year, I am really happy to see Cecily wants to be here for 4 years. She should slide in nicely to fill the void left behind by Boere.
 
3397char

3397char

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minas823 said:
@3397char Thank you for putting this together! One edit (I believe) being that Sanne will not be returning 😢

After only having Boere for a year, I am really happy to see Cecily wants to be here for 4 years. She should slide in nicely to fill the void left behind by Boere.
Click to expand...
I know that she graduated this year (in three, well done!) but do we have some confirmation she is finished at UNC?

This certainly does seem like a goodbye, so I do think you are correct:

 
U

UNCH

Junior
Aug 1, 2025
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Hak is done. She only had 3 years.

Ferri is elite defender/ball advancement player.

No clue who is replacing Ryleigh. This is huge weakness for the team.
 
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3397char

3397char

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One notable change for 20256-27 will be the new 5 years to play 5 rule. The first immediate affect is there will be no reason for freshmen to redshirt.
 
3397char

3397char

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UNCH said:
Hak is done. She only had 3 years.

Ferri is elite defender/ball advancement player.

No clue who is replacing Ryleigh. This is huge weakness for the team.
Click to expand...
Agreed. Unless some freshman comes in like Matson and then Heck did, this team will lack obvious star power and a mandatory double team for the first time in a very long time.

I do not see us as a top 2 team in the country like previous years. Certainly still top 10, but by our standard this is a rebuilding year on paper.
 
M

minas823

Sophomore
Oct 13, 2025
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This could be a tough year, as we try to navigate replacing nearly all of our offensive production (outside of Bruder).

I am praying that at least one of the incoming Europeans have a little Yentl/Eva van’t hoog/Ryleigh/Erin playmaking and field vision abilities in them. We truly have been blessed with so many great players this past decade. Growing pains without these kind of players on the field will be noticeable.

I trust our staff will have these athletes hungry and motivated to step up into bigger roles this season.

Outside of the obvious returners - I think we have a few wild cards for this season. One being Caroline Golden. She looked really comfortable in the little minutes she played last season, and continued to play in system swinging the ball around the back field well. Ella Barbacci too - she was getting a lot of minutes towards the end of the season off the bench and looked comfortable out there. Reid Miller spending time with the U21 team means she must have some abilities worth keeping an eye one.

I hope Eliza Perrin works really hard in the off season. She shows promise, with a high motor but often times was out of control and card prone.

I am wondering if the goalie position will be split again this year?
 
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unc80

unc80

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Looks like Erin is really going to earn her paycheck next season.
 
3397char

3397char

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minas823 said:
I am wondering if the goalie position will be split again this year?
Click to expand...
I think Shahbo is as good as either keeper last season and I don’t see Skibisz losing her starts, so my guess is split goal again.
 
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Jriv23

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I think the European players coming in are going to help us out tremendously this coming season. If you look at the world cup for field hockey, the players from Europe, Belgium, and the Netherlands tend to be further ahead than American players. We do have I think four coming in. I not worry as much as some are about next year. We have a great coaching staff and we have some players like Coco and company that should be ready now. They will be either juniors and seniors this coming season and I think they will be ready for the challenge. Go Heels!
 
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3397char

3397char

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Jriv23 said:
We redshirted three our top freshman last year, Reid Miller, Olivia Anderson and Jenna Narleski.
Click to expand...
I overlooked Anderson; I will put her in the OP. But our top 2 recruits by ranking played (Skubisz & Anetsberger) These three may be great, but were 2nd tier on paper in terms of ranking. I will be pleasantly surprised if they are key contributors in their first season.
 
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