Matson Ties ACC Record With Fourth Offensive POY Honor

SYRACUSE, N.Y. – As a freshman in 2018, Erin Matson was named Atlantic Coast Conference Offensive Player of the Year to cap an outstanding first year in a Tar Heel uniform. That award has since become an annual occurrence for Matson and on Wednesday, the senior forward became the second player in ACC history to earn the award four times.

Matson, who leads the conference in every offensive category, was joined on the All-ACC first team by senior midfielder Cassie Sumfest. Senior midfielder Meredith Sholder was named to the All-ACC second team.

Congrats to our trio of Tar Heels named to the All-ACC teams! 🏑 👏 @erinmatsonn 👏 @cassie_sumfest 👏 @MereSholder 🔗 https://t.co/rcogXD97h6#GoHeels | #ACCFH pic.twitter.com/lZhTHkXvr5 — UNC Field Hockey (@UNCFieldHockey) November 3, 2021

The awards were announced by the league on the eve of the 2021 ACC Championship, which begins on Thursday in Syracuse. The Tar Heels (10-6) are the No. 3 seed and open play with a 6 p.m. quarterfinals matchup against Wake Forest.

Regular-season ACC champion Louisville, which earned a first-round bye, swept the rest of the conference's major honors, with senior Alli Bitting voted ACC Defensive Player of the Year, goalkeeper Mila de Kuijer the ACC Freshman of the Year and the Cardinals' Justine Sowry the ACC Coach of the Year.

Matson becomes the second field hockey student-athlete to be voted the ACC Offensive Player of the Year four times, joining Maryland's Katie O'Donnell, who won from 2007-10. Matson enters the ACC Championship as the league's all-time leader in goals scored with 103, including 21 this season.

The national leader in goals scored and total points (50) this season despite missing three games due to an injured pinky finger, Matson was recognized as the ACC Offensive Player of the Week on four occasions this fall.

Sumfest and Shoulder both have had outstanding seasons as starters in the Tar Heel midfield. Sholder earned the second-team honor for the second year in a row after joining Matson on the Preseason All-ACC Team. Sumfest earned ACC Defensive Player of the Week honors earlier this season.

Six ACC teams ended the regular season ranked among the top 25 teams in the NFHCA coaches' poll, including three among the top 10 in No. 4 Louisville, No. 9 Syracuse and No. 10 North Carolina.

Louisville will receive a first-round bye as the ACC Field Hockey Championship opens Thursday at Syracuse's J.S. Coyne Field. Quarterfinal action on Thursday finds No. 7 seed Duke (6-10, 0-6) paired against No. 2 Syracuse (11-4, 4-2) at 3:30 p.m., while No. 3 North Carolina (10-6, 4-2) faces No. 6 Wake Forest (7-9, 1-5) at 6 p.m.

ACC Network will show all tournament action live, with Mike Corey handling play-by-play and Leah Secondo on color.

2021 All-ACC Field Hockey Team
Offensive Player of the Year: Erin Matson, North Carolina, F, Sr.
Defensive Player of the Year: Alli Bitting, Louisville, D, Sr.
Freshman of the Year: Mila de Kuijer, Louisville, GK, Fr.
Coach of the Year: Justine Sowry, Louisville

First Team All-ACC
Fusine Govaert, Boston College, B, Gr.
Alli Bitting, Louisville, D, Sr.
Julie Kouijzer, Louisville, D, Jr.
Aimee Plumb, Louisville, F, So.
Mila de Kuijer, Louisville, GK, Fr.
Erin Matson, North Carolina, F, Sr.
Cassie Sumfest, North Carolina, M, Sr.
Quirine Comans, Syracuse, F, Gr.
Pleun Lammers, Syracuse, F, So.
Amber Ezechiels, Virginia, D, Sr.
Meike Lanckohr, Wake Forest, D/M, Jr.

Second Team All-ACC
Sky Caron, Boston College, B, Gr.
Sarah Johnson, Boston College, M/B, Gr.
Jonna Kennedy, Boston College, GK, Sr.
Eva Nunnink, Duke, B, Gr.
Katie Schneider, Louisville, F, Sr.
Meredith Sholder, North Carolina, M, Sr.
Carolin Hoffmann, Syracuse, M, Gr.
Eefke van den Nieuwenhof, Syracuse, B, So.
Charlotte de Vries, Syracuse, F, Jr.
Annie McDonough, Virginia, M/F, Sr.
Nathalie Friedman, Wake Forest, M, Jr.

Players Mentioned

Erin Matson

Meredith Sholder

Cassie Sumfest

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