Erin Matson, who won four national championships in five seasons with the UNC field hockey program, was named as the winner of the Honda Sport Award for Field Hockey on Tuesday. It’s the third time in her career Matson has won the award, making her just the second player ever to accomplish this. The first player to do so was her head coach: Karen Shelton.

Last season, Matson led the Tar Heels to a 21-0 record and scored the game-winning goal in the national championship game against Northwestern. It clinched Carolina’s 10th title in team history, most of any program in the country. Matson and the Tar Heels also won the ACC Tournament in each of her five seasons with the team.

“It’s really hard to put into words how proud I am of Erin and the amazing career she had at UNC,” said Shelton. “To win the Honda Sport Award for a third time is a phenomenal achievement and speaks to her hard work and perseverance, in addition to her outstanding talent and ability. It was really special to watch her evolve over her five years in Chapel Hill – she is a better and more complete player now than she was when she won the Honda Award as a sophomore.”

Matson was named a Honda Award finalist in four consecutive seasons. She was named first team All-ACC the ACC’s Offensive Player of the Year in all five of her seasons in Chapel Hill. Her win of this year’s Honda Award is the eighth time a Tar Heel has received the honor.

“Receiving this award again is another byproduct of how hard the team and I worked this past year and how badly we wanted to undoubtedly be the best,” Matson said. “I’m proud of this team and our coaching staff for making it possible. And there’s no other university that deserves it more. This award is super meaningful to me, and I’m lucky to have an amazing program and school to share it with.”

The Honda Sport Award is one of the most prestigious honors in college athletics, having been given annually for 47 years to the top athletes in 12 NCAA women’s sports. The winner of the award in each sport becomes a finalist for the Collegiate Woman Athlete of the Year, which will be presented in June.

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