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UNC's Ryleigh Heck, Sietske Bruning and Erin Matson after season-ending loss to Northwestern.
Nov 21, 2025
UNC's Ryleigh Heck, Sietske Bruning and Erin Matson after season-ending loss to Northwestern.
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0:00
of the way they played, but also the way
0:02
they carried themselves the entire game
0:04
after the game in this room right now.
0:06
Um, they make me extremely proud to be
0:09
their coach. Uh, I had one of the girls
0:14
look me in the eyes after the game. Um,
0:17
and it wasn't in a in a you know a rash
0:20
statement or high emotion. and she
0:22
looked me in the eyes and very calmly
0:24
said this was the best year of my life
0:27
and that it was transformational for her
0:29
and that is exactly uh why we do this.
0:32
Um
0:34
like I said, I'm proud to be their coach
0:36
and the way they played today was
0:38
beautiful hockey. It's not the outcome
0:39
we want for Tar Hill Nation. It's not
0:41
the outcome these guys want. Um but if
0:44
we detach from that outcome, I'm
0:46
extremely proud of of today and um just
0:49
who they are as people. question for
0:52
students. What
0:56
um I know y'all have faced um you faced
0:59
Northwestern in 2022 and 2023 as well.
1:02
If I could just ask about I mean
1:04
emotions coming out and going into this
1:06
game knowing that kind of um history
1:10
there. Um what was kind of going into
1:12
this game and ob coming out of it as
1:14
well. What was kind of the impact of
1:16
that? in terms of
1:20
um I think that we were going to the
1:22
game thinking just about us, what we
1:24
were going to do. We had a standard and
1:27
what we wanted like we had a game plan
1:29
and we just wanted to work as hard as we
1:32
could and we all had trust in each
1:33
other. We all wanted the best for each
1:36
other. We wanted to work for each other
1:37
and I think it was a great battle. We
1:40
know Northwestern. We played them before
1:42
like you said and
1:44
um they're obviously a very similar team
1:47
than they were before and we were ready
1:49
and it just wasn't what we wanted at the
1:51
end but I think we still fought as hard
1:53
as we could and did the best we could
1:56
that answer that question.
1:58
Yeah, I agree. I think these are like
2:01
games against Northwestern aren't always
2:03
good games, always hard fought battles.
2:05
We know what we can expect. We know we
2:08
have to fight for it. And I do believe
2:10
like Aaron said, we left everything we
2:12
had on the field and it wasn't the
2:14
outcome we wanted, but we we had a good
2:17
mentality going into the game and I
2:19
think it showed on the field as well.
2:21
Um, but yeah, you have that rivalry cuz
2:25
you play them in these kind of
2:26
situations. Um, so you have extra fire.
2:30
Si, can you describe to me what happened
2:32
on the last goal and how you saw it play
2:34
out the gamewinning goal?
2:37
Yeah. Uh to be honest, I uh it's kind of
2:42
a blur a little bit what happened. They
2:44
we know they have fast players. Uh they
2:47
use their speed. Um and then it's just
2:50
in the moment decision- making and if I
2:53
could do it again, I wouldn't do the
2:54
same thing. But um yeah, it's you just
2:58
kind of play intuitively. And um yeah,
3:01
that's kind of it.
3:02
Go off your foot,
3:04
I think. So yeah, I think I tried to
3:07
just get a touch on it. Tried to just I
3:09
knew there were people behind me. I I
3:10
tried to just get out of the circle. I
3:12
knew she was going to play that ball. Um
3:15
and unfortunately the touch was into my
3:17
own foot, I'm pretty sure. And just went
3:19
into the goal, unfortunately.
3:21
I think it was um Mattie Zimmer's one of
3:25
the fastest players we've ever played
3:26
against. Her in space, overtime is her
3:29
game. Um and she turned the jets on. Um,
3:34
and it was a numbers down situation for
3:36
both seats and our keeper. I think they
3:38
both made the right decision. Um, I
3:40
don't think any decision unless the ball
3:43
is cleared out of the circle is
3:44
necessarily um, you know, a wrong one.
3:47
So, um,
3:50
one of those situations you don't want
3:52
your players to be in, and when they're
3:53
in there, you have full trust um, and
3:56
you don't look back.
3:59
First of all, I just want to say
4:00
congrats on a really great season. Um,
4:02
and I guess for both of you guys, um,
4:05
and again really hard to kind of be, um,
4:09
asked this just right now, but as
4:11
seniors, just if you could speak to, um,
4:13
just what your experience here at UNCC
4:15
has been like and playing for Coach Mats
4:17
and what that's meant to you guys.
4:21
Um,
4:23
just thinking back the past four years,
4:26
um, definitely grown into a leader.
4:30
never thought I'd be a captain for UNCC
4:32
and here I am this whole year I just
4:35
learned what it takes. Um and I couldn't
4:38
have done that without Aaron and all the
4:39
coaching coaching staff and the players
4:42
around me. Um Carolina program is just
4:45
such a amazing place to be at and to
4:48
learn and just to grow as a person and
4:50
player on and off the field and I'm I am
4:54
just so happy that I could say that I am
4:56
part of that family. Um, and you know, I
5:01
it's just not obviously where we wanted
5:04
to end up, but we like pressure. Like
5:07
Carolina gives you the opportunity to
5:10
play with pressure. And, you know, like
5:12
that's one of the best feelings you can
5:14
have as an athlete. And I'm so grateful
5:15
that I had that chance. And just how I
5:18
am today is just I would never be like
5:20
this unless I went to Carolina. So,
5:23
yeah, I totally agree. It's like going
5:25
to UNCC, playing for UNCC field hockey.
5:28
It's it gives you the opportunity to
5:30
grow as a person and it's not just about
5:32
field hockey. And we love field hockey
5:35
and we love that we get to play under
5:37
pressure and we get to play in these
5:39
kind of games and um but besides the
5:42
field hockey part, it shapes you as a
5:45
person and Aaron makes that happen and
5:50
she is a great person to look up to and
5:53
she teaches you so many things that are
5:55
not just related to field hockey and
5:58
that you can have for the rest of your
6:00
lives. And the wins are the wins and we
6:02
love to win. But even without the wins,
6:06
you still have so many things that you
6:08
get taught during these seasons and that
6:11
you get to bring with you for the rest
6:12
of your life.
6:14
One more question.
6:16
Last two. Um Erin, you're now in your
6:19
third season as head coach. Um what are
6:22
some of the things that you're
6:23
continuing to learn as you gain more
6:25
experience doing this job?
6:27
Um
6:29
yeah, I think it's been a a personal
6:32
journey um for myself. I think it's been
6:35
a professional journey. Uh I think the
6:37
beauty is that it's been both of those
6:40
separately and also conjoined. Um I
6:44
learned something new from these guys
6:45
every day. Uh the field hockey side of
6:48
it, you guys know, we'll look at the X's
6:51
and O's, we look at international
6:53
hockey, we'll implement things we see.
6:55
Um the field hockey side is the easy
6:57
part. Um my job is to be a motivator, to
7:01
be um somebody who shows these guys that
7:05
confidence is power and uh kindness is
7:08
strength. So um I I genuinely learn tons
7:12
from them just on how to be a better
7:14
person myself, how to be a better coach
7:16
and a leader. Um, obviously logistically
7:21
our job is fun because um, every season
7:24
is different, every weekend is
7:26
different, every game is different. Um,
7:28
it keeps you on your feet, it's solving
7:30
puzzles, um, and you have to evolve with
7:33
it. So, um, there's the obvious lessons
7:36
that the season teaches you, but I think
7:38
the most meaningful ones are the ones
7:40
that I learned from these guys and the
7:42
amazing staff I have, um, or our
7:44
parents, um, the coaches, family that
7:47
Carolina provides. Um, you know, I'm
7:50
lucky to be surrounded by great people
7:52
and I just am constantly learning.
7:58
Yeah. Um, every team in a semi-final
8:00
game since 2011 with a two-goal lead has
8:03
won. What do you guys think that
8:04
Northwestern did well today for that not
8:06
to be the outcome?
8:08
I think we knew um Northwestern we could
8:11
never get comfortable. Um, you hear it
8:14
during every single game when we go up.
8:17
If it's one nothing up, if it's six
8:19
nothing up, we say zero. Um, that's our
8:22
mentality. If you have the 00 mentality,
8:24
obviously you're protecting your cage
8:26
and it takes care of the defensive side
8:28
of it and at the same time it keeps you
8:30
hungry, keeps you wanting to score and
8:32
create attacking opportunities. So, um I
8:35
think our girls, I could see the look in
8:37
their eyes. They were never complacent.
8:39
They were never never comfortable. They
8:41
never got ahead of themselves. They were
8:42
present the entire game. Um and that was
8:45
one of the big messages that we tried to
8:48
harp today going into the game and then
8:49
throughout the game. So, we're proud
8:51
they executed. Um, that and then, yeah,
8:54
props to Northwestern. I think on a
8:56
similar front, they never gave up. Um, I
8:59
think, you know, they stayed hungry.
9:02
They finished the the opportunities they
9:04
needed to. Um, their corners are
9:06
threatening. We knew that going in. So,
9:08
I think they just executed. Um, but like
9:11
I said in the opening st uh statement, I
9:13
think it was a very exciting um and even
9:17
matchup from the attitude side of things
9:19
where our girls stayed pretty
9:21
level-headed and Northwestern kept the
9:23
fight.
9:26
Um just another one for both of you
9:28
guys. Um the players, you guys talked so
9:30
much and coach M was just talking about
9:32
like the lessons and things that you
9:33
guys will um I guess take from this as
9:35
you look over um just the past four
9:37
years at UNCC. maybe what's the best
9:39
memory or biggest lesson that you feel
9:41
like you guys will take away?
9:45
Uh,
9:47
I think for me it's leadership. I've
9:51
grown like a lot in leadership and um
9:55
I've made steps that and I've been
9:58
taught things that are going to be
10:01
valuable for the rest of my life. And I
10:04
think for me the biggest lesson is how
10:07
to
10:09
just work with people like your
10:11
teammates. Get the most out of your
10:12
teammates and be honest and create that
10:17
bond and um
10:20
yeah, knowing how to talk to people, how
10:23
to get the most out of them. And it's
10:25
something that I'll carry with me for
10:27
the rest of my life.
10:30
Um, I definitely learned too many things
10:33
and but if I could pick one,
10:36
I would say just, you know,
10:41
controlling
10:43
my emotions. Um, and just how to be a
10:47
mature like professional or collegiate
10:50
player, what to do outside the field,
10:54
how to carry myself, how to uh show the
10:58
younger and the youth what to do and
11:01
what not to do, and just how to push
11:02
them and, you know, encourage them to be
11:04
better and just to bring them along with
11:07
me. Um and I think that created me into
11:11
becoming a leader and um definitely just
11:15
I can carry that uh forever. So
11:19
anything else please?
11:21
I uh really quick before that question
11:23
gets wrapped up. I would just like to
11:25
emphasize to everybody the fact that the
11:27
two lessons these guys are taking away
11:30
are about other people and that's why
11:32
they they were the captains of this team
11:34
because both of them said um that they
11:37
will take away skills to make others
11:39
better and that's how we run this
11:41
program.
11:43
Uh for you two, what were the emotions
11:46
going up against a former teammate who
11:48
helped you win a national championship
11:50
today?
11:53
who help you help you win a national
11:55
championship before she transferred to
11:57
Northwestern and you're playing against
11:59
her today.
12:00
Um, honestly, I don't think we pay much
12:05
attention to that. Um, we just we see
12:08
Northwestern as a as a team and we would
12:11
treat her as any other player on their
12:13
team and uh obviously we watch film, we
12:16
watch scout. Um, but I don't think a lot
12:19
of thought really goes into that
12:22
specifically.
12:23
Yeah, I think we just had a game plan
12:26
and we knew their strengths and
12:27
weaknesses. Um, and we went into the
12:31
game thinking how are we going to
12:34
succeed and be better each quarter. Um,
12:38
no no thought on just like other like um
12:42
situations with it.
12:45
response. Two questions for coach.
12:50
Um Karen, Northwestern had I think 10
12:52
penalty corners that kind of seem to
12:54
help them get back in the game. Can you
12:55
talk about the impact that had on on
12:58
um we knew defense was going to be huge
13:00
in this game. Um and I think we played
13:03
the best defensive effort that we had
13:04
all season um from everybody. I think
13:07
we've had games where one person stepped
13:09
up or another's put the team on their
13:12
back and the defensive unit on their
13:13
back, but these guys, I think every
13:14
single one of them came up with big-time
13:17
tackles, um big- time interceptions or
13:20
just were tightly marking and doing
13:22
things um you know, that don't
13:24
necessarily go go uh are noticed by
13:27
everybody. Um, so I think as a unit I'm
13:29
really proud of it, but Northwestern
13:31
still created opportunities and like we
13:33
said, I think the the penalty corners
13:35
are a strength of their team. Um, and
13:39
they were able to put some away, but um,
13:43
yeah, we gave up 10 too many in an ideal
13:47
world, but um, it's a game of inches and
13:50
I think, you know, they they created
13:52
enough to get penalty corners and
13:55
execute on them. Um, but I I would stay
13:58
focused on just how strong we played
14:01
defensively. Um, and I think that takes
14:03
a lot for me to say um after some just a
14:08
lot of growth throughout the season. So
14:10
um I'll choose to focus on that.
14:16
And just after that um the game winner
14:20
kind of just what were the emotions in
14:22
that sort of moment um that kind of
14:24
radiated from that moment?
14:26
Yeah, I think they're still here.
14:29
They're still fresh. I think you're
14:30
seeing them. Um proud of the game that
14:32
we played. I'm proud of how they stuck
14:34
together. Um, it's, you know, I think
14:38
one of the biggest joys of coaching and
14:41
that you want every coach to to feel is
14:43
when you look in your player's eyes and
14:45
they believe in themselves. Uh, they
14:47
believe in each other and they're ready
14:50
to just go after it and there's not one
14:53
person or one moment this game that I
14:55
can think of where there was doubt or
14:58
um, anything like of that nature. Um,
15:03
and I think that's what I was focused on
15:06
because I and that's why I'm proud of
15:08
how they performed um and carried
15:11
themselves throughout the game because
15:13
um they were all in it and they did a
15:16
great job and they executed the game
15:17
plan and sometimes things just don't go
15:20
your way. Um, but I would say also just
15:24
being proud um of these guys, the way
15:27
they led this team uh through the season
15:29
and then also the senior class. I'm
15:31
proud of my staff. Uh you guys know how
15:34
phenomenal my staff is, whether that's
15:36
the coaching staff or all of our
15:38
managers, the support staff, um our
15:41
medical team, you know, I'm just I have
15:44
all of the support. Um and that makes a
15:47
difference. So, just making sure
15:48
everybody else was also proud of the
15:51
last however many hours and this whole
15:53
season.
15:54
Last one.
15:56
Coach, you talk a lot about the seniors
15:58
and rightfully so, but you've got a lot
15:59
of young players that come back after
16:02
something like that. Can you just sort
16:03
of speak to that? Her sister
16:05
and and that dynamic.
16:07
Yeah. Um I think there's not many
16:10
programs um who have a freshman in goal
16:15
in overtime in the semi-finals um and a
16:18
freshman up front um as part of the
16:21
seven you're picking to put out there.
16:24
Um, I think that speaks to the two of
16:26
them and also just the freshman class
16:28
and the underassman in general who are
16:31
so dedicated. They're bought in for the
16:33
right reasons. They've had these guys to
16:35
learn from. Um, you know, this season
16:38
and I remember me being a freshman and
16:42
having stars and just good people and
16:44
good leaders to learn from that young.
16:47
Um, and they're now carrying lessons
16:50
that these guys left with them and the
16:51
upper classmen left with them.
16:53
throughout their entire time here at
16:55
Carolina. Um, but it also speaks to just
16:58
their fearlessness, their
17:00
relentlessness,
17:01
um, their growth through the season. Um,
17:05
and yeah, I mean, we knew we had the
17:08
vets and the experience, but we also
17:10
knew we had a lot of question marks and
17:12
a lot of new faces on the team. And I
17:13
think every single person who came back
17:16
from last year and who we added to this
17:18
roster had an incredible role in this
17:20
season. um no matter what age or year
17:23
they were. Um so it gives us a lot of
17:27
confidence and comfort um and again just
17:31
overall pride for the succession and how
17:35
these guys lead each other.
17:37
Thank you guys.
17:38
Thank you so much.
17:39
Thank you.
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