Not long after capturing its 21st ACC Tournament championship on Sunday, the UNC field hockey team learned it would be the top overall seed in this year’s NCAA Tournament.

Having posted a 19-0 record to this point–while winning games in dominant fashion–it should have come as no surprise to head coach Karen Shelton and her players.

The Tar Heels will begin play in the tournament on Friday at Karen Shelton Stadium in Chapel Hill against the winner of Wednesday’s play-in game between William & Mary and Monmouth.

Should it win on Friday, UNC will face the winner of the other first round game in Chapel Hill on Friday between Michigan and Saint Joseph’s.

This marks the 16th consecutive NCAA Tournament appearance for the Tar Heels and 35th in program history–the most of any team in America.

“We’re thrilled to play at least one more home game this season and to welcome Michigan, Saint Joseph’s, and either Monmouth or William & Mary to Chapel Hill,” Shelton said. “Our team has been extremely focused all season and we’re excited to look ahead toward our next goal.”

 

 

Photo via UNC Athletics

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 […]
Tar Heels Upset No. 2 Maryland, Advance to Eighth Straight Field Hockey Final Four
Head coach Karen Shelton said Saturday after the UNC field hockey team’s NCAA First Round victory that she considered her Tar Heels the underdogs heading into their matchup with No. 2 Maryland in the Quarterfinals. Based on the results, though, it’s tough to imagine this Tar Heel team being underdogs against anyone–as No. 4 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, […]
›