CHARLOTTE, N.C. (theACC.com) – North Carolina forward Ryleigh Heck has been named the Atlantic Coast Conference Field Hockey Offensive Player of the Week, while the Tar Heels’ goalkeeper, Abigail Taylor, has earned ACC Defensive Player of the Week honors, the league announced on Tuesday.
 
Heck totaled four goals and five assists in North Carolina’s 2-0 week. Heck helped the Tar Heels past No. 15 Syracuse on Friday, September 20, as she logged a goal and three assists to move North Carolina to a 1-0 mark in ACC play. When North Carolina traveled to No. 11 Liberty on Sunday, September 22, Heck finished with a hat trick and two assists for an eight-point game. The Ocean City, New Jersey, product scored or assisted on nine of North Carolina’s 12 goals in the two games last week, as the Heels moved to a perfect 6-0 on the season.
 
Taylor helped lead the Tar Heels to a 2-0 week with a pair of ranked victories, including the ACC opener against No. 15 Syracuse. Against the Orange, Taylor recorded four saves without conceding a goal in 60 minutes played in net. In Sunday’s win at No. 11 Liberty, the Cary, North Carolina, native made two saves in 55:57 in net, logging another shutout. Following the weekend, Taylor and the top-ranked Tar Heels have recorded four consecutive shutout victories.
 
Heck and Taylor are the second set of Tar Heels to sweep ACC Player of the Week honors this season, joining Charly Bruder and Grace Pottebaum on September 3. The Tar Heels earned the top spot in this week’s Penn Monto/NFHCA Division I National Coaches Poll, totaling 1058 points and 15 first-place votes.
 
Four conference matches are on the table for ACC teams this weekend including two each for No. 15 Syracuse and No. 9 Duke. The Orange will travel to Wake Forest on Friday, September 27, for a televised contest on ACC Network, beginning at 6 p.m. ET before traveling to battle Duke on Sunday, September 29, at noon ET. On Friday, Duke will host No. 3 Virginia at 4 p.m. in a top-10 showdown, while No. 13 Louisville with host No. 12 Boston College in another ranked contest.
 
ACC Offensive Player of the Week
Sept. 3 – Charly Bruder, North Carolina
Sept. 10 – Suze Leemans, Virginia
Sept. 17 – Yani Zhong, Boston College
Sept. 24 – Ryleigh Heck, North Carolina
 
ACC Defensive Player of the Week
Sept. 3 – Grace Pottebaum, North Carolina
Sept. 10 – Tyler Kennedy, Virginia
Sept. 17 – Vera Hekkenberg, Syracuse
Sept. 24 – Abigail Taylor, North Carolina