UNC junior forward Erin Matson earned her second consecutive Honda Sport Award for field hockey on Wednesday, an honor which recognizes the top women’s athletes in the country across 12 different NCAA sports.

Matson led the Tar Heels to their third consecutive national championship last month, scoring the overtime game-winner against Michigan in the title game.

The native of Chadds Ford, Pennsylvania led UNC in scoring with 29 goals and nine assists over the course of the 20-game season. The Tar Heels went 19-1 this season and closed out the year by winning each of their last 18 games.

Matson was previously named ACC Offensive Player of the Year and the NCAA Tournament’s Most Outstanding Player for her efforts this season.

She joins Cindy Werley as the only UNC field hockey players to win back-to-back Honda Sport Awards, with Werley accomplishing the feat in 1996 and 1997.

With former Tar Heel Ashley Hoffman winning the award in 2018 and Matson winning each of the last two seasons, UNC has swept the last three awards in field hockey.

The Tar Heels have gone 65-1 since Matson arrived on campus prior to the 2018 season, including a 47-game winning streak which encompassed her entire freshman and sophomore campaigns as well as the first game of the 2020-21 season.

She has already earned comparisons to some of the greatest UNC athletes of all time no matter the sport for her dominance, names such as Mia Hamm and Michael Jordan.

Other finalists for this year’s Honda Sport Award in field hockey included: Sophie Hamilton (UCONN), Megan Schneider (Louisville) and Corinne Zanolli (Stanford).

By winning the Honda Award, Matson becomes one of 12 finalists for this year’s Honda Cup — which recognizes the Collegiate Woman Athlete of the Year.

“I am extremely honored and humbled to receive the Honda Sport Award for Field Hockey again this year,” Matson said. “It means the world to me to be selected especially after a year when everyone had to overcome so many unique challenges. I couldn’t be more thankful for my coaches and UNC field hockey sisters.

“We play for Carolina, our beautiful university, our incredible athletics program and coaching staff, the sport of field hockey, and each other,” she added. “We grew together, laughed together, and were able to win another national championship for UNC. With the Honda Award being more than an athletic award, it also makes me so proud to be able to represent Carolina and my family in winning again.”

 

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
‹
No. 1 UNC Field Hockey Defeats Boston College, Advances to NCAA Championship Game
In a rematch of the ACC Championship game on Friday as part of the NCAA Tournament Semifinals in Winston-Salem, the top-ranked UNC field hockey team defeated Boston College 6-3 to remain undefeated and advance to Sunday’s NCAA Championship Game. Sophomore Erin Matson–the nation’s leading scorer–had four goals for UNC (22-0), while Riley Fulmer and Marissa […]
No. 1 UNC Field Hockey Tops No. 6 Iowa to Remain Undefeated, Advance to 11th Consecutive NCAA Final Four
For the 11th consecutive season, the top-ranked UNC field hockey team will play in the Final Four. Head coach Karen Shelton’s squad defeated No. 6 Iowa 2-1 during Sunday’s NCAA Tournament Quarterfinals in Chapel Hill at the new on-campus stadium named after her, extending the program’s win streak to 44 games overall dating back to […]
No. 1 UNC Blanks Stanford in 1st Round of NCAA Field Hockey Tournament
A convincing 4-0 win over No. 15 Stanford on Friday in Chapel Hill in the first round of the NCAA Field Hockey Tournament has the top-ranked Tar Heels one step closer to repeating as undefeated national champions. Stanford goalie Kelsey Bing is considered one of the best in the entire country–even spending time with the […]
UNC Field Hockey Tops Maryland to Win NCAA Title, Cap Off Perfect Season
For the third time in the program’s storied history, the top-ranked UNC field hockey team capped off a perfect season–defeating the No. 2 Maryland Terrapins 2-0 in Louisville at the NCAA Championship Game. The Tar Heels end the year 23-0 after a dominant campaign that saw them run through their competition with ease. Megan DuVernois […]
Field Hockey: Top-Ranked UNC Advances to 10th Straight NCAA Final Four After 5-2 Victory Over No. 8 Michigan
A 5-2 victory over the No. 8 Michigan Wolverines on Sunday at Karen Shelton Stadium in Chapel Hill lifted the top-ranked UNC field hockey team to its 10th consecutive NCAA Final Four appearance. The Tar Heels also improved to 21-0 so far in 2018, as they are now just two wins away from capping off […]
NCAA Field Hockey Tournament: No. 1 UNC Improves to 20-0 With First Round Victory Over William & Mary
The quest for an undefeated season remained alive for the top-ranked UNC field hockey team on Friday afternoon in Chapel Hill, as the Tar Heels cruised to a 4-0 victory over the William & Mary Tribe in the First Round of this year’s NCAA Tournament. Freshman Erin Matson scored the game’s first goal in the […]
UNC Field Hockey Drops Princeton, Heading to Ninth Straight NCAA Final Four
One of the more impressive streaks in all of college sports continued on Sunday afternoon in Charlottesville, Virginia, as the sixth-ranked UNC field hockey team defeated No. 11 Princeton 3-2 to advance to its ninth consective NCAA Final Four–and 22nd in program history. It was a hard-fought back-and-forth affair that saw the teams alternate goals […]
UNC Dominates St. Joseph's to Advance to NCAA Field Hockey Quarterfinals
A pair of goals from Gab Major led the way for the sixth-ranked UNC field hockey team on Saturday, as the Tar Heels cruised to a spot in the NCAA Quarterfinals with a 4-0 victory over No. 15 St. Joseph’s–a program making its first ever NCAA Tournament appearance. Eva Van’t Hoog opened scoring for UNC […]
UNC Shuts Out Stanford, Advances to NCAA Field Hockey Quarterfinals
Much like their women’s soccer counterparts, the UNC field hockey team began its NCAA Tournament with an emphatic shutout victory. The fourth-ranked Tar Heels knocked off the No. 12 Stanford Cardinal 3-0 on Saturday in their first round matchup at Maryland’s Field Hockey and Lacrosse Complex. Just three and a half minutes into the game, […]
Erin Matson Wins Second Consecutive Honda Sport Award for Field Hockey
UNC junior forward Erin Matson earned her second consecutive Honda Sport Award for field hockey on Wednesday, an honor which recognizes the top women’s athletes in the country across 12 different NCAA sports. Matson led the Tar Heels to their third consecutive national championship last month, scoring the overtime game-winner against Michigan in the title […]
›