University of North Carolina Athletics
Matson won the Honda Award for the 2019 and 2020 seasons.
Photo by: Jerome M. Ibrahim
Matson A Finalist For Honda Sport Award
January 4, 2023 | Field Hockey
For the fourth year in a row, North Carolina's Erin Matson is a finalist for the Honda Sport Award for Field Hockey.
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A five-time ACC Offensive Player of the Year, Matson led the Tar Heels to the 2022 NCAA Championship and was named the NCAA Tournament MVP. She finished her Tar Heel career as the all-time scoring leader in Atlantic Coast Conference history and in NCAA Tournament play.
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The Tar Heels finished 21-0 in 2022, winning the program's 10th NCAA crown and 25th ACC title. Matson led the nation in scoring with 28 goals and 10 assists for 66 points.
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She has been named National Player of the Year by the NFHCA and Bolster Field Hockey and was selected as a first-team All-America honoree for the fifth year in a row.
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A three-time member of the All-ACC Academic Team, Matson graduated from UNC in December.
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Other finalists are Bente Baekers (Northwestern), Sophia Gladieux (Penn State) and Beth Yeager (Princeton). The Tar Heels faced all three during the 2022 season, defeating the Nittany Lions in the NCAA semifinals and the Wildcats in the NCAA championship game.
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Matson won the Honda Award in 2019 and 2020, her sophomore and junior years. She's the fifth Tar Heel to win the award and the second to do so on multiple occasions. Karen Shelton, who recently announced her retirement after 42 seasons as Carolina's head coach, remains the only field player to win the Honda Award three times.
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The Honda Sport Award has been presented annually by the CWSA for the past 47 years to the top women athletes in 12 NCAA- sanctioned sports and signifies "the best of the best in collegiate athletics". The winner of the sport award becomes a finalist for the Collegiate Woman Athlete of the Year and the prestigious 2023 Honda Cup which will be presented during the live telecast of the Collegiate Women Sports Awards Presented by Honda on CBS Sports Network in June.
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The field hockey finalists were selected by a panel of experts and coaches from the National Field Hockey Coaches Association (NFHCA).
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The CWSA, entering its 47th year, has honored the nation's top NCAA women athletes for their superior athletic skills, leadership, academic excellence and eagerness to participate in community service.  Since commencing its partnership in 1986, Honda has provided more than $3.4 million in institutional grants to the universities of the award winners and nominees to support women's athletics programs. Â
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A five-time ACC Offensive Player of the Year, Matson led the Tar Heels to the 2022 NCAA Championship and was named the NCAA Tournament MVP. She finished her Tar Heel career as the all-time scoring leader in Atlantic Coast Conference history and in NCAA Tournament play.
Â
The Tar Heels finished 21-0 in 2022, winning the program's 10th NCAA crown and 25th ACC title. Matson led the nation in scoring with 28 goals and 10 assists for 66 points.
Â
She has been named National Player of the Year by the NFHCA and Bolster Field Hockey and was selected as a first-team All-America honoree for the fifth year in a row.
Â
A three-time member of the All-ACC Academic Team, Matson graduated from UNC in December.
Â
Other finalists are Bente Baekers (Northwestern), Sophia Gladieux (Penn State) and Beth Yeager (Princeton). The Tar Heels faced all three during the 2022 season, defeating the Nittany Lions in the NCAA semifinals and the Wildcats in the NCAA championship game.
Â
Matson won the Honda Award in 2019 and 2020, her sophomore and junior years. She's the fifth Tar Heel to win the award and the second to do so on multiple occasions. Karen Shelton, who recently announced her retirement after 42 seasons as Carolina's head coach, remains the only field player to win the Honda Award three times.
Â
The Honda Sport Award has been presented annually by the CWSA for the past 47 years to the top women athletes in 12 NCAA- sanctioned sports and signifies "the best of the best in collegiate athletics". The winner of the sport award becomes a finalist for the Collegiate Woman Athlete of the Year and the prestigious 2023 Honda Cup which will be presented during the live telecast of the Collegiate Women Sports Awards Presented by Honda on CBS Sports Network in June.
Â
The field hockey finalists were selected by a panel of experts and coaches from the National Field Hockey Coaches Association (NFHCA).
Â
The CWSA, entering its 47th year, has honored the nation's top NCAA women athletes for their superior athletic skills, leadership, academic excellence and eagerness to participate in community service.  Since commencing its partnership in 1986, Honda has provided more than $3.4 million in institutional grants to the universities of the award winners and nominees to support women's athletics programs. Â
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