Field Hockey Prepped For Another ACC Title Run

Tuesday, November 4

Louisville, KY

10 AM

North Carolina

Louisville

Photo by: Jeffrey A. Camarati

November 3, 2025 | Field Hockey

Game Notes

By: William Soulé

LOUISVILLE, Ky. - Let the postseason games begin as Carolina Field Hockey travels to Bourbon City for the 2025 ACC Field Hockey Championship. The eight-time defending champions of the competition will look to protect what's theirs, starting with an opening round matchup against the hosts Louisville.

Carolina enters the tournament as the No. 1 seed for the fourth straight season (and all three years under Matson) and for the 22nd time overall. In Matson's tenure, the Heels are 11-2 on the road against ACC opposition.

SCHEDULE
at Louisville | Tuesday, Nov. 4, 10 AM ET
Louisville, Ky. | Trager Stadium
Watch: ACC Network

NUMBERS TO KNOW
1 - UNC has taken over the top spot in the NFHCA DI National Coaches Poll. It is the 32nd season in program history they've been ranked No. 1 at some point.
7 - Carolina has 7 wins over top-15 opponents this year, the most in the country.
8 - The Heels have won eight straight ACC Championships, dating back to 2017.
27 - Carolina has conquered the ACC 27 times in its history, more than all of the other programs combined (15).
62 - Ryleigh Heck's hat trick against Richmond vaulted her into the seventh spot for most career goals in program history with 62.

AUGUST. SEPTEMBER. OCTOBER. CAROLINA.
➤ With Halloween behind us, we have officially entered the field hockey postseason. The whole of November has historically been dominated by North Carolina Field Hockey.
➤ The month annually kicks off with their complete control of the ACC. The Tar Heels have won 27 ACC Championships, more than all of the other programs combined.
➤ No current member has more than four titles (Wake Forest). Former ACC constituent Maryland won 10.
➤ UNC holds a 68-15 all-time record in ACC tournament play.
➤ Carolina comes into this year's tourney having won the last eight consecutively. Maryland's four titles in a row from 1998-2001 is the second longest streak.
➤ The Heels have been the No. 1 seed 22 times now and each of the last four years. They are 40-2 overall when playing as the top seed, claiming 19 of its 27 titles from that position.

SCOUTING REPORT
➤ Friday's game will be the 21st all-time meeting between the two programs.
➤ Carolina's last trip to Louisville was one of the closest contests of the 2024 regular season for the Heels. Sanne Hak secured a 2-1 win in the fourth quarter, but the 1-1 tie at half time was the first time that season that UNC was all square at the half.
➤ Last time they met: The game against the then No. 19 Cardinals was much more comfortable when they faced earlier this season. UNC turned 23 shots into three goals from Kara Heck, Isabel Boere, and Sanne Hak.
➤ It will be the first time these two programs have faced each other in the postseason since UNC took a 4-2 victory in the 2020 ACC tournament final at Karen Shelton Stadium. The Cardinals were the top seed that go around and held a two goal lead early in the second quarter. Four unanswered scores for UNC, including two from Matson, carried the Tar Heels to the come-from-behind win.

DOWNED THE DEVILS ON HALLOWEEN NIGHT
➤ The Tar Heels came from behind to take a 2-1 victory over rivals Duke in overtime on a Halloween edition of Senior Day that also gave Carolina a share of the ACC regular season title for the fourth straight season.
➤ The Blue Devils scored in the first quarter and held UNC off the board until Isabel Boere tied the game in the third. Then, three minutes into overtime, Ryleigh Heck linked up with Dani Mendez to win it for Carolina.
➤ It was the first overtime outing in the series since an April game in 2021 and extends head coach Erin Matson's record to a perfect 13-0 against the Blue Devils as a player and a coach.
➤ Carolina out shot duke 16-5 in the final three quarters and overtime after a slow opening frame.