THE North Carolina Tar Heels field hockey program is one of the best in the country. They are still on the right track with their young head coach who knows a little about winning.
In 1981, Olympic field hockey player Karen Shelton became head coach and built the team into an annual title contender. From 1981 to 2022, Shelton and the Tar Heels have won 25 ACC titles and appeared in the national championship game 21 times, winning 10.
Shelton resigned after an undefeated season and a national championship in 2022. The Tar Heels didn’t look far for his successor in Erin Matson, 22, who was just months away from graduation..
Matson was one of the best players in the country for the Tar Heels during her college career. Now, she continues her momentum by winning another conference title in her first year at the helm.
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Erin Matson’s Incredible College Field Hockey Career
The Chadds Ford, Pennsylvania native began her athletic career outside of field hockey. His first sports were softball and basketball before taking up field hockey at the age of six. By the time she was a teenager, Matson appeared regularly for the United States women’s national teams in field hockey. A standout career at Unionville High School helped her land a spot with the Tar Heels in college.
As a freshman in 2018, Matson led the Tar Heels to an undefeated season en route to an ACC and national title. It became a theme throughout his career in Chapel Hill.
In 2019, Matson led the nation with 81 points (33 goals, 15 assists) and the accolades piled up as the Tar Heels enjoyed another undefeated, national title-winning season. Matson won his first Honda price as the best field hockey player in the country.
Matson and the Tar Heels made it three in a row during the 2020 season. She led the country in points again, the Tar Heels were national champions and she won her second Honda award.
The 2021 season saw the Tar Heels win another conference title but were eliminated in the semifinals of the NCAA tournament. Matson still leads the nation in goals (27) and total points (64). She returned for a fifth season in 2022 and the Tar Heels won their fourth national championship in five years with a 21-0 season.
Matson’s 28 goals and 66 points again led the nation and she became only the second person to win three Honda awards. The first one? Shelton.
“The Michael Jordan of field hockey” Shelton said of Matson. “There have been other great players but there hasn’t been a goalscorer like Erin.”
The 2023 Tar Heels field hockey season
Shelton’s retirement after the 2022 season left big shoes to fill; she is the winningest field hockey coach in NCAA Division I history. For four decades, it set a standard that few programs could match.
So it made sense to bring in one of Shelton’s best players to take over.
“Erin is an exceptional leader who has a deep and in-depth knowledge of the game,” Tar Heels athletic director Bubba Cunningham said in a statement announcing his hiring.. “She knows how to inspire, listen, teach and win – all qualities that will translate well on the sidelines and make her a formidable head coach.” We all look forward to supporting her in her transition and into her new role.
The announcement came just a month and a half after the graduation ceremony.
“To say I’m excited and honored to be the head coach of the UNC field hockey program is an understatement – it’s a dream come true,” Matson said in the release.
The Tar Heels lost 3-2 in overtime to Iowa in their second game of the season. It was the team’s first loss since 2021, but it preceded an eight-game winning streak. A 12-3 regular season earned a bye to start the ACC tournament.
A 3-2 victory over Virginia in the semifinals earned a spot in Friday night’s championship game against Duke. As she has done many times on the court but now on the sidelines, Matson led the Tar Heels to victory for their seventh straight ACC title.
“I thought it was special to celebrate on the pitch and between the white lines and now to be able to see them celebrate something that is so well deserved, it’s totally indescribable,” Matson said after the victory.
She became the first coach in ACC field hockey history to win a conference title in her first season.
The Division I field hockey championship begins Wednesday, Nov. 8, with opening rounds at campus venues. The semifinal and championship games will be played at the Tar Heels’ home court: Karen Shelton Stadium in Chapel Hill.
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