Heather O’Reilly
East Brunswick High School
Impact Statement
“I’m kind of a freak when it comes to competitiveness. It’s like a fine line of sanity for elite athletes to always be on the cusp of drive and competitiveness and motivation.”
Biography
“Very few athletes are so dominant on the high school level that they can make an immediate impact collegiately or even internationally, but Heather O’Reilly is clearly one of those athletes,” said NHSCA executive director Bob Ferraro. “The NHSCA is proud to recognize Heather O’Reilly as the National High School Senior Girls Soccer Athlete of the Year.”
O’Reilly has completed a virtual clean sweep by winning at least four national player of the year awards following her senior season at East Brunswick High. During her career at East Brunswick, O’Reilly scored 136 goals in four prep seasons. Already a member of the United States National Team at age 18, O’Reilly she scored 21 goals and had 13 assists while leading the U.S. under-19 squad to a world championship in summer of 2002. The 5-foot 4-inch forward will play collegiate soccer at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.
O’Reilly had an impressive career upon completion from college. She was a member of the United State’s National Team where she won 3 Olympic Gold Medals. In the 2004 Olympics, O’Reilly scored the winning goal to advance the US to the finals over Germany. She was also a member of the FIFA Women’s World Cup Championship team. O’Reilly announced her retirement from the US team in September of 2016.
She has also played professionally for a number of teams since 2009. Currently, O’Reilly plays for North Carolina Courage and will be retiring as one of the greats in women’s soccer after the season. Although she is retiring from the field, she will still be involved in the sport as an studio analyst for Fox.
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