GoHeels Exclusive: Even As She Stands Out, Matson Makes It About The Team

By Pat James, GoHeels.com

WINSTON-SALEM — For a moment Friday, however brief, the North Carolina field hockey team found itself in a situation it hadn't been in for quite some time.

Entering their NCAA semifinal showdown against Boston College, the top-ranked Tar Heels had trailed in six games this season, but only once had they trailed by a score other than 1-0. That was back on Sept. 6, when they rallied from a 3-1 deficit to beat Princeton in the third game of the season.

In Friday's 6-3 win at Wake Forest's Kentner Stadium, UNC once again fell behind 1-0, only to tie the score six minutes later. Unlike many of Carolina's opponents, though, the Eagles responded, seizing a 2-1 lead early in the second quarter.

Boston College had mostly controlled the match until then. And with another goal, it would have put the Tar Heels in a significant hole.

But Erin Matson ensured that didn't happen.

Just 85 seconds later, UNC earned its first penalty corner of the game. Senior Megan DuVernois inserted the ball. Feline Guenther, another senior, stopped it. And Matson ripped a shot past the goalkeeper with a swing so smooth it would've impressed golf legend Arnold Palmer, a Wake Forest alumnus whose name adorns the residence hall nearest to Kentner Stadium.

Matson's goal marked the first of five unanswered by Carolina. It also proved to be the first of four by the sensational sophomore, tying the record for the most goals by a player in an NCAA semifinal or championship game.

"That's probably one of the best attacks I've seen in college in quite some time," said Boston College coach Kelly Doton, who admirably led her team from a 4-5 start to its first-ever final four. "They have the best player in Erin Matson, who can just score goals, create goals, does a lot, creates a lot of havoc on the field.

"Certainly, we didn't have an answer for her, as many teams don't."

Anyone who didn't watch Friday's game missed one of the best postseason performances by any Tar Heel, let alone a field hockey player. Think James Worthy-, Mia Hamm-, Chris Cloutier-, Charlotte Smith-type dominance. This isn't hyperbole. Matson was that good.

But when asked during the postgame press conference to explain why she was so successful, she didn't take any credit. Instead, she gave an answer that would've made Dean Smith proud – and surely made Karen Shelton proud, too.

"It's really easy playing with everyone out there," said Matson, whose seven goals through three NCAA Tournament games are tied for the second most in a single tournament. "Like Coach said, all the goals were assisted and we played very unselfishly. … It was an easy game just to connect with everybody and just focus on ourselves and play our game."

Matson's game just happens to be at another level.

The two-time ACC Offensive Player of the Year and just the second UNC freshman to be named first-team All-America, Matson led the team in goals (20) and assists (19) during Carolina's 2018 national championship season. Her 59 points were the fourth most by a Tar Heel in a season. Now, they're the fifth most, because she just keeps getting better.

This season, Matson has tallied 31 goals, the second most in program history, and 15 assists. Her 77 points are second to only Cindy Werley, who posted 87 points en route to her second straight Honda Sport Award in 1997. Werley reached that mark in 23 games. Matson has played in only 19; she missed the final three games of the regular season while playing for the U.S. National Team in a two-game Olympic Qualifier in India.

No big deal.

Matson's stick skills alone set her apart from her peers and have added another dimension to the Tar Heels' offense the last two years, senior forward Catherine Hayden said. That's not the only thing makes her special, though.

"She has game sense – and that's something you can't teach," Hayden said. "A lot of the things she does that are so amazing come from skill, but it's also because she's so aware and knows what to do. She knows where everyone is, somehow. She has great vision. She makes amazing passes, great assists, all the time. She sets us up for goals and sometimes takes it herself, too, because she can. I think she amazes everyone on the team a little from time to time."

Before leaving England and joining the UNC staff in June as an assistant coach, Robbert Schenk knew Matson played for the U.S. National Team. But he didn't know much else about her.

The first time he watched her practice, though, he came away impressed.

"Her hand skills are amazing," Schenk said. "You saw it as well playing for USA, how effective and how dangerous she can be. I'm just glad she's able to keep growing along with this team and making sure the team grows with her."

Matson said Schenk has helped her and her fellow forwards do that by stressing the importance of moving off each other in the penalty circle and making the first pass they see. Carolina did that seemingly to perfection Friday, executing one well-timed pass after another.

One of the best examples of that came on the Tar Heels' third goal, when Matson drove toward the circle, drawing the attention of three defenders. That left Hayden wide open to the left of the goal. Matson saw her and passed the ball to her. But instead of shooting it, Hayden glanced up and saw Marissa Creatore, who she crossed the ball to for the easy score.

Later in the third quarter, Guenther drove down the baseline, then passed to Matson inside the circle. The sophomore had put herself in great position to see a majority of the goal face and took advantage, slotting the ball into the lower left corner of the goal.

Schenk said Matson has done a better job of recognizing where she is and what she's capable of inside a certain area. She's improved in other areas as well this season, specifically as a leader.

"Even as a sophomore, you see everyone – seniors and freshmen – looking up to her on the field and now off the field," Creatore said. "And it's incredible to just see her energy and her competitive spirit inspiring everyone around her."

That was tangible when her team needed her most Friday. And UNC hopes it continues to be Sunday, when it'll try to beat Princeton for its second straight national title.

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University of North Carolina Athletics

GoHeels Exclusive: Even As She Stands Out, Matson Makes It About The Team

Players Mentioned

Marissa Creatore

Megan DuVernois

Feline Guenther

Catherine Hayden

Erin Matson

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