University of North Carolina Athletics
For the third year in a row, Erin Matson has been named ACC Offensive Player of the Year.
Photo by: Jeffrey A. Camarati
Matson, Shelton Earn ACC Annual Honors
April 22, 2021 | Field Hockey
GREENSBORO, N.C. (theACC.com) – Two Tar Heels were among the honorees as the Atlantic Coast Conference announced its major award winners for field hockey on Thursday morning. UNC junior Erin Matson was named ACC Offensive Player of the Year for the third year in a row, and Carolina's Karen Shelton was named ACC Coach of the Year for the 11th time.
Matson leads the ACC with 56 points on 24 goals and eight assists, including 11 of UNC's 15 goals this spring (with an assist on another). She has hat tricks in each of the past two games, including overtime game-winners in both. A six-time ACC Offensive Player of the Week selection and a three-time NFHCA National Player of the Week in 2020-21, Matson ranks second on UNC's all-time scoring list and eighth all-time among ACC players with 196 career points.
She's just the second field hockey player in conference history to earn Offensive Player of the Year honors three times. The other was Maryland's Katie O'Donnell, who won the award in all four years of her career (2007-10).
Shelton, who last received the Coach of the Year honor in 2018, guided the Tar Heels to a fourth consecutive ACC Tournament Championship and the 23rd title in program history last fall. UNC finished atop the ACC spring standings with a 5-0 record and is 15-1 overall. In November, Shelton became the winningest coach in NCAA field hockey history and has a career record of 707-165-9 in 40 seasons at UNC.
Boston College goalkeeper Jonna Kennedy was named ACC Defensive Player of the Year and Duke midfielder Darcy Bourne was named ACC Freshman of the Year.
The Tar Heels begin postseason play on Friday, hosting Wake Forest at Karen Shelton Stadium in a one-game playoff for the ACC's automatic berth in the NCAA Tournament field. Game time is 1 p.m. and limited admission is available, with gates opening at noon.
Matson leads the ACC with 56 points on 24 goals and eight assists, including 11 of UNC's 15 goals this spring (with an assist on another). She has hat tricks in each of the past two games, including overtime game-winners in both. A six-time ACC Offensive Player of the Week selection and a three-time NFHCA National Player of the Week in 2020-21, Matson ranks second on UNC's all-time scoring list and eighth all-time among ACC players with 196 career points.
She's just the second field hockey player in conference history to earn Offensive Player of the Year honors three times. The other was Maryland's Katie O'Donnell, who won the award in all four years of her career (2007-10).
Shelton, who last received the Coach of the Year honor in 2018, guided the Tar Heels to a fourth consecutive ACC Tournament Championship and the 23rd title in program history last fall. UNC finished atop the ACC spring standings with a 5-0 record and is 15-1 overall. In November, Shelton became the winningest coach in NCAA field hockey history and has a career record of 707-165-9 in 40 seasons at UNC.
Boston College goalkeeper Jonna Kennedy was named ACC Defensive Player of the Year and Duke midfielder Darcy Bourne was named ACC Freshman of the Year.
The Tar Heels begin postseason play on Friday, hosting Wake Forest at Karen Shelton Stadium in a one-game playoff for the ACC's automatic berth in the NCAA Tournament field. Game time is 1 p.m. and limited admission is available, with gates opening at noon.
Players Mentioned
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