University of North Carolina Athletics
Tar Heels Sweep ACC Season Honors
October 31, 2018 | Field Hockey
GREENSBORO, N.C. – North Carolina swept the Atlantic Coast Conference field hockey awards for the 2018 season, with senior Ashley Hoffman named ACC Defensive Player of the Year for the second year in a row; freshman Erin Matson named both ACC Offensive Player of the Year and ACC Freshman of the Year; and Karen Shelton named ACC Coach of the Year.
Hoffman and Matson were joined on the All-ACC first team by senior Eva van't Hoog. Senior Malin Evert and juniors Catherine Hayden and Yentl Leemans were named to the All-ACC second team.
"Any individual awards we receive are reflective of hard work by every member of our team and staff," said Shelton, who is in her 38th season at UNC and won the honor for the 10th time. "I'm thrilled for my players who have been recognized, and I'm honored myself, but I know we all agree that is not our goal. We're all focused on what we need to do on the field to be successful this weekend as we host the ACC Championship."
The Tar Heels, 17-0 this season and ranked No. 1 in the nation, open play Friday in the ACC Championship, which UNC is hosting at Karen Shelton Stadium. As the regular-season champion and top seed, Carolina received a first-round bye and will open play at noon Friday in a semifinal game.
Tournament action starts Thursday at 11 a.m. For the complete bracket, click here.
The All-ACC Team and the four individual awards are decided by a vote of the league's seven head coaches.
Matson, a forward from Chadds Ford, Pa., is the first player to earn ACC Freshman of the Year and Player of the Year honors in the same season. She's second Tar Heel to earn ACC Offensive Player of the Year honors since the league divided award into offensive and defensive honors in 2004, and she's the eighth Tar Heel to be named ACC Freshman of the Year. She leads UNC in points and assists and ranks second in goals.
Hoffman, a back from Mohnton, Pa., is UNC's captain and leads on both ends of the field. While anchoring a UNC defense that has given up just 10 goals in 17 games this fall, she also ranks fourth in the ACC in goals per game (0.71) and fifth in points per game (1.82).
In being named ACC Coach of the Year for 10th time, Shelton has guided her undefeated Tar Heels to a 17-0 overall record, the ACC regular season title and the No. 1 seed in this week's ACC Championship with a 6-0 mark in league play. In 38 seasons in Chapel Hill, Shelton has compiled a 663-164-9 mark that includes six NCAA Championships, 11 NCAA runner-up finishes, 22 final fours and 36 winning seasons.
Van't Hoog, a midfielder from Den Haag, Netherlands, earned first-team honors for the second year in a row. She was on the second team as a sophomore.
Evert, a midfielder from Bad Schwartau, Germany, also was honored for the third time in her career. She has been a member of the second team the past two years.
Hayden, a forward from Greenwich, Conn., earned All-ACC honors for the first time in her career.
Leemans, a midfielder from Breda, Netherlands, also was honored for the first time.
2018 ACC Field Hockey Individual Honors
Offensive Player of the Year - Erin Matson, North Carolina
Defensive Player of the Year - Ashley Hoffman, North Carolina
Freshman of the Year - Erin Matson, North Carolina
Coach of the Year - Karen Shelton, North Carolina
First Team
Ymke Rose Gote, Sr., M, Boston College
Jule Grashoff, Sr., F, Wake Forest
Frederique Haverhals, Sr., B/M, Boston College
Ashley Hoffman, Sr., M/B, North Carolina
Erin Matson, Fr., F, North Carolina
Ayeisha McFerran, Sr., GK, Louisville
Margaux Paolino, Jr., M, Duke
Mercedes Pastor, So., M/F, Louisville
Rose Tynan, Sr., F, Duke
Eva van't Hoog, Sr., M, North Carolina
Roos Weers, Sr., B, Syracuse
Second Team
Megan Anderson, Sr., M, Wake Forest
Veerle Bos, Sr., M, Wake Forest
Greta Ell, Sr., M, Virginia
Malin Evert, Sr., M/F, North Carolina
Catherine Hayden, Jr., M/F, North Carolina
Yentl Leemans, Jr., M, North Carolina
Bethany Russ, So., F, Louisville
Erin Scherrer, Sr., F, Duke
Sammi Steele, Jr., GK, Duke
Taylor Stone, Sr., M/B, Louisville
Anne van Hoof, So., D, Wake Forest
Jillian Wolgemuth, Jr., B, Duke
Hoffman and Matson were joined on the All-ACC first team by senior Eva van't Hoog. Senior Malin Evert and juniors Catherine Hayden and Yentl Leemans were named to the All-ACC second team.
"Any individual awards we receive are reflective of hard work by every member of our team and staff," said Shelton, who is in her 38th season at UNC and won the honor for the 10th time. "I'm thrilled for my players who have been recognized, and I'm honored myself, but I know we all agree that is not our goal. We're all focused on what we need to do on the field to be successful this weekend as we host the ACC Championship."
The Tar Heels, 17-0 this season and ranked No. 1 in the nation, open play Friday in the ACC Championship, which UNC is hosting at Karen Shelton Stadium. As the regular-season champion and top seed, Carolina received a first-round bye and will open play at noon Friday in a semifinal game.
Tournament action starts Thursday at 11 a.m. For the complete bracket, click here.
The All-ACC Team and the four individual awards are decided by a vote of the league's seven head coaches.
Matson, a forward from Chadds Ford, Pa., is the first player to earn ACC Freshman of the Year and Player of the Year honors in the same season. She's second Tar Heel to earn ACC Offensive Player of the Year honors since the league divided award into offensive and defensive honors in 2004, and she's the eighth Tar Heel to be named ACC Freshman of the Year. She leads UNC in points and assists and ranks second in goals.
Hoffman, a back from Mohnton, Pa., is UNC's captain and leads on both ends of the field. While anchoring a UNC defense that has given up just 10 goals in 17 games this fall, she also ranks fourth in the ACC in goals per game (0.71) and fifth in points per game (1.82).
In being named ACC Coach of the Year for 10th time, Shelton has guided her undefeated Tar Heels to a 17-0 overall record, the ACC regular season title and the No. 1 seed in this week's ACC Championship with a 6-0 mark in league play. In 38 seasons in Chapel Hill, Shelton has compiled a 663-164-9 mark that includes six NCAA Championships, 11 NCAA runner-up finishes, 22 final fours and 36 winning seasons.
Van't Hoog, a midfielder from Den Haag, Netherlands, earned first-team honors for the second year in a row. She was on the second team as a sophomore.
Evert, a midfielder from Bad Schwartau, Germany, also was honored for the third time in her career. She has been a member of the second team the past two years.
Hayden, a forward from Greenwich, Conn., earned All-ACC honors for the first time in her career.
Leemans, a midfielder from Breda, Netherlands, also was honored for the first time.
2018 ACC Field Hockey Individual Honors
Offensive Player of the Year - Erin Matson, North Carolina
Defensive Player of the Year - Ashley Hoffman, North Carolina
Freshman of the Year - Erin Matson, North Carolina
Coach of the Year - Karen Shelton, North Carolina
First Team
Ymke Rose Gote, Sr., M, Boston College
Jule Grashoff, Sr., F, Wake Forest
Frederique Haverhals, Sr., B/M, Boston College
Ashley Hoffman, Sr., M/B, North Carolina
Erin Matson, Fr., F, North Carolina
Ayeisha McFerran, Sr., GK, Louisville
Margaux Paolino, Jr., M, Duke
Mercedes Pastor, So., M/F, Louisville
Rose Tynan, Sr., F, Duke
Eva van't Hoog, Sr., M, North Carolina
Roos Weers, Sr., B, Syracuse
Second Team
Megan Anderson, Sr., M, Wake Forest
Veerle Bos, Sr., M, Wake Forest
Greta Ell, Sr., M, Virginia
Malin Evert, Sr., M/F, North Carolina
Catherine Hayden, Jr., M/F, North Carolina
Yentl Leemans, Jr., M, North Carolina
Bethany Russ, So., F, Louisville
Erin Scherrer, Sr., F, Duke
Sammi Steele, Jr., GK, Duke
Taylor Stone, Sr., M/B, Louisville
Anne van Hoof, So., D, Wake Forest
Jillian Wolgemuth, Jr., B, Duke
Players Mentioned
Midfield/Forward
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Midfield/Forward
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Midfield/Back
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Midfielder
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Forward/Midfield
/ Field Hockey
Midfield
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