The UNC field hockey team captured its 24th ACC Championship in 28 tries Sunday afternoon, topping the No. 5 seed Virginia Cavaliers 1-0 in Syracuse, N.Y.

Carolina, the No. 3 seed in the field, won the title with head coach Karen Shelton back on the sidelines. Shelton had been banned from coaching the ACC semifinal victory over Syracuse due to a red card assessed to the UNC bench in the quarterfinals.

As the final score suggests, the game was a defensive struggle throughout. The two teams combined for just five shots in a scoreless first half. Carolina didn’t get off a single shot in the first quarter, but freshman goalie Abigail Taylor made two saves in the period to keep Virginia off the scoreboard.

The Tar Heels finally struck in the third quarter, capitalizing on a penalty corner for the game’s only goal. Once again, it was ACC Offensive Player of the Year Erin Matson who provided the critical blow, scoring on a deflected shot on the corner. Matson has now scored 14 goals in her last six games played. Paityn Wirth and Madison Orobono picked up assists on the play.

In a concerted defensive effort, UNC took only one shot in the remaining 26 minutes of game time. Even with the Cavaliers going all-in on offense during the fourth quarter, Carolina still didn’t allow a shot to reach Taylor, and no shots at all after Virginia pulled their goalie with four minutes to go. As a team, the Tar Heels only allowed five shots in total to a Cavaliers team which averaged more than 16 shots per game this season.

The win is Carolina’s fourth in a row after dropping two of three games which Matson missed due to injury. Two of those wins have come against Virginia. Now 13-6, UNC is guaranteed a bid into the NCAA Tournament as conference tournament champions. The tournament field will be announced Sunday night at 10 p.m.

 

Featured image via Atlantic Coast Conference

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
‹
Erin Matson Named to Forbes' '30 Under 30 Sports' List for 2025
UNC field hockey head coach Erin Matson has been named to Forbes’ “30 Under 30 Sports” List for 2025, honoring young stars around the world who are “fearlessly leading sports into the future,” according to the magazine. “Honored to be alongside such inspirational barrier breakers,” Matson said on social media. “Proud to represent Carolina and […]
Saint Joseph's Upsets No. 1 UNC Field Hockey in NCAA Semifinals
Saint Joseph's snapped No. 1 UNC's 27-game winning streak and ended the Tar Heels' bid for a third straight national championship.
UNC Field Hockey Shuts Out Duke, Advances to 28th Final Four
Carolina cruised past No. 9 Duke in its final home game of the season on Sunday afternoon, shutting out the Blue Devils 3-0 in the NCAA quarterfinals to advance to next week’s Final Four in Ann Arbor, MI. Final Four here we come!!#GoHeels x @WellsFargo pic.twitter.com/cycFgXBFdV — UNC Field Hockey (@UNCFieldHockey) November 17, 2024 Ryleigh […]
UNC Field Hockey Cruises Past Delaware in NCAA Tournament 1st Round
Carolina scored three goals in the opening quarter of Friday’s NCAA Tournament first-round game against Delaware at Karen Shelton Stadium, and the Tar Heels cruised to a 4-0 win to advance to Sunday’s national quarterfinals. Took care of business in round 1️⃣#GoHeels x @WellsFargo pic.twitter.com/8s9vvXHaEI — UNC Field Hockey (@UNCFieldHockey) November 15, 2024 Katie Dixon, […]
Chansky's Notebook: Matson Master Class
If Erin Matson goes two for two on national championships after winning ACC Coach of the Year, surely she deserves a raise.
UNC Field Hockey Earns No. 1 Overall Seed in NCAA Tournament
The Tar Heels now know their path to a three-peat. Carolina earned the No. 1 overall seed in the NCAA Field Hockey Tournament on Sunday night and will host either Fairfield or Delaware at Karen Shelton Stadium on Friday at 11 a.m. The Stags and Blue Hens will play in Chapel Hill on Wednesday at […]
UNC Field Hockey Defeats Boston College, Clinches 8th Straight ACC Tournament Title
Carolina continued its dominance over the ACC field hockey circuit by defeating No. 3 seed Boston College 4-1 in the conference championship game in Winston-Salem on Friday. It’s UNC’s eighth straight ACC Tournament title and 27th in program history. That's #️⃣2️⃣7️⃣!! Who else but the Heels? We are the 2024 ACC Champions! pic.twitter.com/wUwWX7Vyz4 — UNC […]
UNC Field Hockey Defeats Syracuse, Advances to ACC Championship Game
Charly Bruder led another dominant effort by Carolina on Wednesday in the ACC semifinals as the No. 1 seed Tar Heels defeated No. 5 Syracuse 3-1 in Winston-Salem. Took care of business against the Cuse. Friday we go for #️⃣8️⃣ in a row and #️⃣2️⃣7️⃣ total. #GoHeels x @WellsFargo pic.twitter.com/aLLoDZLzrN — UNC Field Hockey (@UNCFieldHockey) […]
UNC Field Hockey Dominates Cal in ACC Tournament Opener
UNC left no doubt in the opening round of the ACC Tournament on Tuesday morning in Winston-Salem, cruising past Cal 5-0.
5 UNC Field Hockey Players Named All-ACC; Erin Matson Named Coach of the Year
The UNC field hockey program earned several honors from the ACC after winning the league’s regular-season title for the third consecutive season. Five Tar Heels earned spots on All-ACC teams, Ryleigh Heck was named the ACC Offensive Player of the Year and Erin Matson was named the ACC Coach of the Year. This team is something […]
›