Tar Heels Claim 21st ACC Crown

Sunday, November 4

Chapel Hill

1:00 PM

North Carolina

Wake Forest (ACC Championship)

Photo by: Jeffrey A. Camarati

November 4, 2018 | Field Hockey

Box Score Watch Highlights Photo Gallery Tar Heels Seeded No. 1 In NCAA Bracket

By: UNC Athletic Communications

CHAPEL HILL, N.C. – North Carolina claimed the 21^st Atlantic Coast Conference Championship in field hockey program history Sunday afternoon with a dominating performance on its home turf, beating Wake Forest 7-2 at Karen Shelton Stadium. The top-ranked and top-seeded Tar Heels improved to 19-0 on the season and earned the ACC's automatic berth into the NCAA Tournament field, which will be announced Sunday night.

🏆🏆🏆🏆🏆🏆🏆🏆🏆🏆🏆🏆🏆🏆🏆🏆🏆🏆🏆🏆🏆
21 ACC TITLES! #GOHEELS pic.twitter.com/T9jFXlpcr8
— UNC Field Hockey (@UNCFieldHockey) November 4, 2018

Senior Ashley Hoffman, the team captain, led UNC to a defense of its 2017 ACC title and was named tournament MVP for the second year in a row. She was joined on the All-ACC Tournament Team by senior Eva van't Hoog, junior Yentl Leemans and freshman Erin Matson, whose goal just 62 seconds into play put Carolina ahead for good.

"I'm very proud of the Tar Heels, of winning the ACC Championship," UNC coach Karen Shelton said. "That's not easy and it certainly wasn't easy today against Wake Forest. They are a tough team. We knew that they would never go away – they played three games in four days and I knew those kids were exhausted but they kept fighting and fighting. Congratulations to them.

"I'm proud of our offensive output in this game. We got big goals all the way around. Really fun for our team to score seven in a championship game like this."

Raise it up, @UNCFieldHockey! 🎉🏆

The Tar Heels earn their 21st #ACCFH title! pic.twitter.com/BYBkpZERBy
— ACC Field Hockey (@ACCFieldHockey) November 4, 2018

The Tar Heels came out strong, quickly drew a corner and ran a play that perhaps set the tone for a spectacular day. Matson inserted then hustled to the near post, where she got a pass from senior Malin Evert. She spun then shot behind her back for a 1-0 lead. "That was a world-class goal," Shelton said.

The second goal also came on a penalty corner, in the fifth minute. Evert again had the initial hit, and van't Hoog deflected it into the roof of the cage for a 2-0 lead.

In the 13^th minute, Wake Forest answered on its first penalty corner of the day. Senior Jule Grashoff sent a shot into the cage, assisted by Megan Anderson and Kelsey Gill.

UNC answered in the 18^th minute, when van't Hoog, with three defenders on her, drove the baseline then popped a high ball across the cage. Junior Megan DuVernois, stationed on the far post, batted it out of the air and in for a 3-1 lead and a little more breathing room.

In the 23^rd minute, UNC scored again. Matson shot from the right side and the ball bounced off the keeper and out to junior Catherine Hayden, who put back the rebound for a 4-1 lead.

Grashoff struck again in the 29^th minute with another penalty corner goal to again draw the Demon Deacons within two goals for a 4-2 halftime margin.

In the second half, all of the scoring came from the Tar Heels. In the 44^th minute, Matson drove in along the left baseline and maneuvered around the keeper for a shot that put UNC up 5-2. In the 51^st minute, on a penalty corner, Wake Forest keeper Isla Bint made a save on the initial shot and Wake tried to clear the ball. But junior Cassie Sumfest pounced on it at the top of the circle and sent a hard shot right back in for a 6-2 lead.

The final goal came on a penalty stroke by DuVernois in the 55^th minute.

"We stayed resilient, we stayed composed and hardworking, and it led to a championship," Shelton said. "I'm so proud of the entire group, offensively and defensively."

UNC finished with 21 shots to Wake's eight, and seven corners to the Demon Deacons' four.

The NCAA Tournament field will be announced at 10 p.m. tonight on NCAA.com. The Tar Heels will be making their NCAA-record 35^th appearance in the field.

🏆 C H A M P I O N S 🏆 @UNCFieldHockey @ACCFieldHockey pic.twitter.com/zLxiT61ZK4
— UNC Tar Heels (@GoHeels) November 4, 2018

No. 1 UNC 7, No. 20 Wake Forest 2
Scoring: UNC – Erin Matson (Malin Evert), 1:02; UNC – Eva van't Hoog (Evert), 4:46; WF – Jule Grashoff (Megan Anderson, Kelsey Gill), 12:07; UNC – Megan DuVernois (van't Hoog), 17:42; UNC – Catherine Hayden, 22:05; WF – Grashoff (Anderson), 28:57; UNC – Matson, 43:47; UNC – Cassie Sumfest, 50:08; UNC – DuVernois (penalty stroke), 54:43
Shots: UNC 21 (12/9), WFU 8 (4/4)
Penalty corners: UNC 7 (4/3), WFU 4 (3/1)
Goalkeeper saves: UNC 5 (Amanda Hendry, 54:09, 2 goals allowed, 1 save; Alex Halpin, 11:13, 0 goals allowed, 0 saves; Mary Kathryn Harrah, 4:38, 0 goals allowed, 1 save); WFU 6 (Isla Bint, 70:00, 6 goals allowed, 6 saves; Cat O'Connor, 00:00, 1 goal allowed, 0 saves)
Records: UNC 19-0, Wake Forest 11-9

UNC Starters: Amanda Hendry, Erin Matson, Catherine Hayden, Cassie Sumfest, Ashley Hoffman, Feline Guenther, Malin Evert, Morgan Goetz, Yentl Leemans, Eva van't Hoog, Marissa Creatore
UNC Substitutes: Meredith Sholder, Hannah Griggs, Julia Herrington, Leila Evans, Bryn Boylan, Abby Pitcairn, Ali Rushton, Eva Smolenaars, Courtnie Williamson, Megan DuVernois, Ellen Payne, Alex Halpin , Mary Kathryn Harrah