UNC Field Hockey: Preseason Favorite to Win ACC

The North Carolina Tar Heels field hockey team starts their season tonight in a rematch of the 2020 NCAA Championship game versus Michigan. As the season gets underway, this week in a vote of the ACC head coaches, UNC was voted the overwhelming favorite to win the conference once again.

The back-to-back-to-back-to-back ACC champions received all but one first place vote, and finished 18 voting points ahead of Boston College in the preseason rankings. In addition to the team’s preseason recognition, two Tar Heels were named to the Preseason All-ACC team.

Forwards Erin Matson and Meredith Sholder were selected as Preseason All-ACC team members. Matson, the reigning NFHCA National Player of the Year and three-time ACC Offensive Player of the Year and First Team All-American, will look to become to the Carolina all-time goal scorer and career point leader this season.

Below are the preseason rankings for 2021 ACC field hockey:

2021 ACC Field Hockey Predicted Order of Finish

1. North Carolina (6) - 48

2. Boston College - 30

3. Virginia (1) - 25

4. Wake Forest - 24

t-5. Duke - 23

t-5. Louisville - 23

t-5. Syracuse - 23

(First-place votes)

2021 Preseason All-ACC Field Hockey Team

Margo Carlin, F, Jr., Boston College

Fusine Govaert, M, Gr., Boston College

Jonna Kennedy, GK, Sr., Boston College

Leah Crouse, M, Sr., Duke

Alli Bitting, M, Sr., Louisville

Charlie Van Oirschot, M, So., Louisville

Erin Matson, F, Sr., North Carolina

Meredith Sholder, M, Sr., North Carolina

Charlotte DeVries, F, Jr., Syracuse

Amber Ezechiels, B, Sr., Virginia

Meike Lanckohr, M, Jr., Wake Forest