The UNC field hockey team won its 10th NCAA title and fourth in the last five years Sunday, defeating Northwestern 2-1 in the national championship. The win completes a perfect 21-0 season for the Tar Heels and also avenges the team’s most recent loss, which came against the Wildcats in last season’s NCAA Tournament.

Playing in her final collegiate game, Erin Matson scored the game-winning goal with 1:18 remaining, just 36 seconds after Northwestern had tied it up. It was a redemptive moment for Matson, who’d been kept off the scoresheet earlier with her first missed penalty stroke of the season.

ACC Freshman of the Year Ryleigh Heck had scored UNC’s first goal on a penalty corner in the second quarter. She and Matson combined for 46 of Carolina’s 82 goals this season.

The Tar Heels played suffocating defense all game, not allowing Northwestern a single shot on goal until the Wildcats tied it with fewer than two minutes remaining. Overall, Northwestern had just two shots, compared to 15 (nine on goal) for Carolina. The Wildcats pulled their goalie after Matson’s goal but could not get a shot off with an extra attacker.

Matson ends her Carolina career as one of the most decorated student-athletes in Tar Heel history: she is the only player in program history to win four national championships, is the only player in ACC history to win conference Player of the Year five times and is the ACC’s all-time leader in points. In her career, the Tar Heels finished with a 99-8 overall record, with seven of those losses coming last season. Carolina also completed three perfect seasons with Matson on the team: matching 23-0 records in 2018 and 2019 and this year’s 21-0 mark.

Head coach Karen Shelton has been leading the program for all 10 of its national championships, which breaks a tie with Old Dominion for most among Division 1 programs. She is just the second coach in UNC history to win 10 or more NCAA titles, joining Anson Dorrance of the women’s soccer team.

“I’m proud of our group for defending as well as we did as a complete unit,” Shelton said after the game. “I thought we defended the entire game, every player. We had a plan and while we turned the ball over a little bit and they had opportunities, I thought we did what we wanted to do.

“I’m just so proud of the entire team,” the head coach added about the program’s 2022 season. “Every player contributed, even the ones that didn’t step on the field today because all season long they made us better at practice and they worked hard every day. It was just an outstanding season for all of us.”

 

Featured image via UNC Field Hockey on Twitter

Chapelboro.com does not charge subscription fees, and you can directly support our efforts in local journalism here. Want more of what you see on Chapelboro? Let us bring free local news and community information to you by signing up for our biweekly newsletter.

Related Stories
‹
UNC Field Hockey Falls to Northwestern in Overtime in NCAA Final Four
Northwestern scored 9:23 into sudden-victory overtime to cap off a comeback win and beat UNC 4-3 at the NCAA Final Four in Durham Friday afternoon. The Wildcats hadn’t led all day, as Carolina raced out to a 2-0 lead inside 15 minutes thanks to goals from sisters Ryleigh and Kara Heck. Though Northwestern closed the […]
UNC Field Hockey Beats Duke in Overtime to Advance to Final Four
Sanne Hak scored the game-winning goal off a penalty corner in sudden-victory overtime against Duke to send UNC through to the Final Four Sunday at Karen Shelton Stadium. The 2-1 win is Carolina’s third against the Blue Devils this season, two of which have come in overtime. THREE TIMES DOWNING THE DEVILS!! AND WE'RE HEADED […]
UNC Field Hockey Escapes Saint Joseph's in NCAA Tournament 1st Round
Despite a spirited effort from underdog Saint Joseph’s, UNC escaped with a 2-1 win in the first round of the NCAA Tournament at Karen Shelton Stadium Friday afternoon. The Tar Heels are now through to Sunday’s second round, where they will await the winner of Iowa and Duke. Won the battle. More war to come!#GoHeels […]
UNC Field Hockey Earns No. 1 Overall Seed in 2025 NCAA Tournament
Carolina is once again the No. 1 team in the country entering the NCAA Tournament. The Tar Heels earned the tournament’s No. 1 overall seed Sunday night for the fourth consecutive year. Top seed. Not satisfied. The Heels host the NCAA First & Second Rounds once again. pic.twitter.com/Xer4W9IYtK — Carolina Field Hockey (@UNCFieldHockey) November 10, […]
UNC Field Hockey Defeats Northwestern in Penalty Strokes, Wins 11th National Title
Carolina won, lost, and won again the program’s 11th national championship. In front of a standing-room-only shootout at Karen Shelton Stadium, No. 1 UNC battled No. 2 Northwestern through regulation, two sudden-death overtimes and six rounds of penalty strokes to claim its second consecutive title and fifth in the last six seasons, 2-1. UNC head […]
UNC Field Hockey Beats Virginia in Final 4; Will Play for 2nd Consecutive NCAA Title Sunday
The UNC field hockey team will play for the national championship for the second consecutive year. The No. 1 Tar Heels defeated Virginia in the national semifinals on Friday in Chapel Hill, smothering the Cavalier offense in a 2-0 win. Playing on Sunday for the 🏆!#GoHeels | @WellsFargo pic.twitter.com/j5wJZzpADV — UNC Field Hockey (@UNCFieldHockey) November […]
UNC Field Hockey Downs Harvard, Advances to National Semifinals
The UNC field hockey team fought past a tough Harvard team in the NCAA quarterfinals in Chapel Hill on Sunday, defeating the Crimson 4-2 to advance to the Final Four. Carolina’s Karen Shelton Stadium will host the national semifinals and championship next weekend. 𝗙𝗜𝗡𝗔𝗟 𝗙𝗢𝗨𝗥 𝗕𝗢𝗨𝗡𝗗 💥#GoHeels | @WellsFargo pic.twitter.com/Ob2Ub63NTM — UNC Field Hockey (@UNCFieldHockey) […]
UNC Field Hockey Dominates William & Mary in NCAA Tournament 1st Round
The No. 1 UNC field hockey team’s NCAA title defense is off to a flying start. The Tar Heels dominated William & Mary in the first round of the NCAA Tournament Friday afternoon, defeating the Tribe 6-1 at Karen Shelton Stadium. Marching on ➡️#GoHeels | @WellsFargo pic.twitter.com/wXga2tXqwr — UNC Field Hockey (@UNCFieldHockey) November 10, 2023 […]
UNC Field Hockey Named No. 1 Overall Seed in 2023 NCAA Tournament
The road to the field hockey national championship in 2023 runs through Chapel Hill. Fresh off its ACC Tournament title, Carolina was named the No. 1 overall seed in the NCAA Tournament on Sunday, meaning the Tar Heels will host their first- and second-round games. In addition, the national semifinals and championship this season are […]
UNC Field Hockey Completes Perfect Season With Program's 10th NCAA Title
The UNC field hockey team won its 10th NCAA title and fourth in the last five years Sunday, defeating Northwestern 2-1 in the national championship. The win completes a perfect 21-0 season for the Tar Heels and also avenges the team’s most recent loss, which came against the Wildcats in last season’s NCAA Tournament. 🏆🏆🏆🏆🏆 […]
›