
A total of four UNC field hockey players were named All-ACC performers on Thursday, highlighted by Erin Matson and Eva Smolenaars earning First Team honors.
Meredith Sholder and goalie Amanda Hendry each earned a spot on the Second Team to complete UNC’s selections.
For Matson–who was also named ACC Offensive Player of the Year for a third straight season–this marks her third straight First Team All-ACC selection. The junior forward leads the Tar Heels with 24 goals and eight assists this season.
This marks the second time Hendry has been a Second Team All-ACC performer, while representing the first All-ACC selections for both Smolenaars and Sholder.
A senior midfielder, Smolenaars scored five goals and tallied one assist while providing valuable contributions on both offense and defense. Sholder had three goals and three assists as a forward.
Hendry finished the regular season with a 15-1 record and a goals against average of 1.35.
The Tar Heels will host Wake Forest on Friday to determine which team gets the ACC’s automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament, where UNC will be seeking to win its third straight national championship.
Head coach Karen Shelton was also honored as the ACC Coach of the Year for the 11th time in her career.
Photo via Dakota Moyer
Chapelboro.com does not charge subscription fees. You can support local journalism and our mission to serve the community. Contribute today – every single dollar matters.
Related Stories
‹

Late Rally Helps UNC Field Hockey Avoid Second Straight Loss at Boston CollegeUNC rallied from a 1-0 deficit in the last nine minutes of play at Boston College Sunday, scoring twice late to steal a 2-1 win and avoid its second straight loss of the season. Battled together. Won together. Heels on top!#GoHeels x @WellsFargo pic.twitter.com/XUi0CQIeNz — Carolina Field Hockey (@UNCFieldHockey) September 28, 2025 UNC entered the […]

UNC Field Hockey Drops First Game of 2025 Season at No. 13 Wake ForestA double-overtime winner from No. 13 Wake Forest helped the Demon Deacons upset UNC 2-1 in Winston-Salem Friday evening. It’s the Tar Heels’ first loss this season and second loss in ACC play in three seasons under head coach Erin Matson. The game was a defensive struggle throughout, entering the fourth quarter in a scoreless […]

UNC Field Hockey Cruises Past Cal and Stanford to Open ACC PlayCarolina defeated both Cal and Stanford at Karen Shelton Stadium during the weekend to continue its perfect start to the 2025 season. The two games were the first ACC contests of the season for the Tar Heels. Against Cal Friday evening, Ryleigh Heck paced the UNC offense by assisting Charly Bruder for the Tar Heels’ […]

UNC Field Hockey Beats App State and Liberty in First Home Games of 2025Carolina opened its 2025 home season at Karen Shelton Stadium with wins against Appalachian State and Liberty during the weekend. On Friday against the Mountaineers, No. 2 UNC took the lead inside of a minute and led 2-0 after the first quarter thanks to goals from Ryleigh Heck and Charly Bruder. Bruder struck again in […]

UNC Field Hockey Beats Penn, No. 10 Princeton in Ivy League WeekendCarolina beat both Penn and No. 10 Princeton as part of the ACC-Ivy League Conference Crossover in New Jersey during the weekend. In the first game against Penn Friday afternoon, five different Tar Heels accounted for six total goals in a dominant offensive display. UNC led 2-0 inside of eight minutes played, scored two goals […]

UNC Field Hockey Sweeps ACC-Big Ten Challenge to Open 2025 SeasonNo. 2 UNC beat both No. 7 Michigan and No. 15 Iowa to sweep the ACC-Big Ten Challenge in Iowa City, IA during Labor Day weekend. In the first game against the Wolverines Friday afternoon, goals from Ryleigh Heck and her sister Kara helped the Tar Heels to a 3-0 shutout victory. Ryleigh Heck, the […]

Chansky's Notebook: The Flying DutchArt Chansky breaks down the season outlook for the UNC field hockey team in Erin Matson's third year as head coach.

Chansky's Notebook: Let's Go, Ladies!The UNC field hockey and women's soccer programs are set to be nationally competitive once again this fall.

UNC Field Hockey Announces 2025 Regular Season ScheduleThe UNC field hockey program has announced its 2025 regular-season schedule. The Tar Heels are looking to reach at least the NCAA semifinals for the fourth consecutive season. Tell a friend to tell a friend, 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗛𝗲𝗲𝗹𝘀 𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝘽𝘼𝘾𝙆! The 2025 schedule is here 📆 pic.twitter.com/LPFCFpGp6A — Carolina Field Hockey (@UNCFieldHockey) July 18, 2025 The […]

'We're Walking a Fine Line': UNC's Erin Matson Talks House Settlement, New AD and Upcoming SeasonUNC field hockey head coach Erin Matson joined 97.9 The Hill’s Brighton McConnell for a wide-ranging conversation Monday. Matson discussed the effects of the House settlement on her program, the hiring of Steve Newmark athletic director-in-waiting and preparations for the 2025 season. Read Matson’s comments, which have been lightly edited for clarity, below, or click here […]
›