There is no doubt about it, Heather O'Reilly is back and better than ever. After going through a finishing slump while she was with the national team over the summer, O'Reilly has been explosive for Carolina the past three weeks. In Sunday's 3-0 victory over Maryland, O'Reilly had a part in each goal. She scored one of the goals, then assisted on the other two, made by freshman Sterling Smith.
In the last six games, she's scored five goals and been credited with four assists. Three of those goals have been game-winning goals. With six goals and five assists, O'Reilly leads the Tar Heels with 17 points, of which 14 have come in the last six matches.
The Tar Heels are a young team this year and while talent can get you so far, experience can often be the deciding factor. As the only starting senior on a team starting five freshmen, O'Reilly's leadership and experience will anchor this Carolina team as they head deeper into their ACC schedule and onto tournament play. Her ability consistently playmake and score will be a huge factor as the NCAA Tournament approaches.
This week, the Tar Heels face two of their biggest rivals. They head to Virginia (7-3-2) on Thursday, and then to Duke (7-4-1) on Sunday.
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