Matson Claims Career Scoring Marks As UNC Wins 9-1

Sunday, September 5

Princeton, N.J.

11 AM

North Carolina

(2-2)

Penn

(0-2)

Penn

North Carolina

Erin Matson had 10 points in Sunday's game (4 goals, 2 assists) to become the program's all-time scoring leader.

September 5, 2021 | Field Hockey

Box Score

PRINCETON, N.J. – The North Carolina field hockey team improved to 2-0 on the weekend and senior Erin Matson became the program's career leader in goals and points with an 9-1 win over Penn Sunday in a neutral-site ACC/Ivy Conference Crossover matchup at Princeton's Bedford Field.

"I'm proud of Erin Matson for breaking the record, but it's more important than we played well as a team," UNC coach Karen Shelton said. "We played more like ourselves. We defended well, we were assertive and unselfish, and we passed the ball like the University of North Carolina. We needed a breakout game, so this was important for us."

Matson, a forward from Chadds Ford, Pa., now has 87 career goals and 221 points early in her fourth season as a Tar Heel, breaking the records of 84 goals and 212 points by Cindy Werley, who played for the Tar Heels from 1993-97 and was, like Matson, a two-time Honda Award winner.

With the two wins this weekend – UNC beat host Princeton 4-1 Friday – Carolina edged back to even on the season with a 2-2 record after dropping its first two of the fall. Next up is a weekend in Philadelphia with road games against Saint Joseph's on Friday and Drexel next Sunday.

🗣 We played more like ourselves today. We defended well, we were assertive and unselfish, and we passed the ball like the University of North Carolina – @CoachSheltonUNC Check out lots of highlights & read more ➡️ https://t.co/uO3TigVTiB#GoHeels pic.twitter.com/lMWLJAMBhf — UNC Field Hockey (@UNCFieldHockey) September 5, 2021

On a rainy Sunday morning in New Jersey, UNC jumped out front of the Quakers early on a penalty corner goal by Matson, assisted by senior Eva Smolenaars on the insert and junior Madison Orobono on the stop. That one tied the goals record at 83 and set the scoring record, giving Matson 213 points in her career. But she was just getting started – Matson had a hand in all five of the Tar Heels' first-half goals, scoring three and assisting on the other two. After Penn scored early in the third quarter, Matson answered two minutes later with her fourth of the day for a total of 10 points.

The four goals are equal to her single-game high, achieved twice during the 2019 season. After 67 games as a Tar Heel, Matson now has 86 goals (1.28 per game) and 221 points (3.3 per game).

"With Erin, it's not about her own individual achievements," Shelton said. "She loves to score, but it's not about her, it's about us. We played well as a team today and she helped lead the team, and that's what I love about her – there's a competitiveness to score, but not at the expense of doing the right thing or making a good decision."

After the early goal, Matson assisted on goals by Smolenaars and freshman Lisa Slinkert before scoring the record-breaking goal in the 23^rd minute on a ball from senior Hannah Griggs. With another penalty corner goal by Matson, assisted by Orobono and senior Abby Pitcairn, UNC led 5-0 at the half after outshooting Penn 13-0.

The Quakers scored early in the second half on a penalty corner to break up the shutout, and then UNC added four more, from Matson (assisted by sophomore Katie Dixon), freshman Kennedy Cliggett (who scored her second of the weekend, off an assist from senior Meredith Sholder), and senior Cassie Sumfest on a penalty corner to make it 8-1. The exclamation point came in the 55^th minute, as Slinkert buried Carolina's first penalty stroke of the fall for her second goal of the day and UNC's ninth.

The Tar Heels didn't allow a shot in the first half and only gave up three – all in the third quarter – for the game. They led 10-2 in penalty corners.

Goalkeepers Abigail Taylor and Kit Olmsted split the game in the cage for UNC, with Taylor starting and Olmsted coming in for the second half to log her first UNC game action.

UNC 9, Penn 1
Scoring: UNC – Erin Matson (Madison Orobono, Eva Smolenaars), 4:13; UNC – Smolenaars (Matson). 7:54; UNC – Lisa Slinkert (Matson), 9:39; UNC – Matson (Hannah Griggs), 22:42; UNC – Matson (Orobono, Abby Pitcairn), 28:44; Penn – Sydney Huang (Gracyn Banks), 31:57; UNC – Matson (Katie Dixon), 33:56; UNC – Kennedy Cliggett (Meredith Sholder), 36:36; Cassie Sumfest (Smolenaars, Cliggett), 38:40; UNC – Slinkert (penalty stroke), 54:28
Shots: UNC 20 (6/7/4/3), Penn 3 (0/0/3/0)
Penalty corners: UNC 10 (4/4/1/1), Penn 2 (0/0/2/0)
Goalkeeper saves: UNC 0 (Abigail Taylor, 30:00, 0 goals allowed, 0 saves; Kit Olmsted, 30:00, 1 goal allowed, 0 saves); Penn 1 (Sabien Paumen, 45:00, 8 goals allowed, 1 save; Hayley Hayden, 15:00, 1 goal allowed, 0 saves)
Defensive saves: Penn 1 (Sophie Friedman)
Records: UNC 2-2, Penn 0-2