Field Hockey To Host Richmond For Alumni Weekend

CHAPEL HILL, N.C. - Carolina field hockey returns home after a successful road trip for the penultimate regular season game against Richmond. It will be the first time the two programs have faced off since the NCAA tournament in 2004.

It will be critical for head coach Erin Matson's squad to keep their foot on the gas as they chase the best possible seedings for both the ACC and NCAA tournaments.

SCHEDULE
vs. Richmond | Friday, Oct. 24
Chapel Hill | Karen Shelton Stadium
Watch: ACCNX | PXP: Matt Krause
Alumni Game & T-Shirt Giveaway

NUMBERS TO KNOW
1 - This week, UNC took 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.
2 - The Heels sit at 2nd in the country in goals per game (4.00) and scoring margin (2.90), just behind Miami (OH) in both categories.
3.77 - Charly Bruder leads the ACC by averaging 3.77 shots on goal per game, 0.5 higher than the second most.
6 - Carolina has 6 wins over top-15 opponents this year, the most in the country.
75 - Friday's game will be the 75th in Karen Shelton Stadium. UNC is 70-4 in field hockey's finest fortress.

EMPIRE STATE OF MIND
➤ The Tar Heels trekked northeast for a pair of games in upstate New York against No. 9 Syracuse and Cornell.
➤ The weekend kicked off with a thriller against the Orange. Down 3-1 at the half, Carolina stormed all the way back to take a 4-3 victory. It was just the third time under Matson the team has allowed three goals in a game.
➤ Charly Bruder was the Tar Heel hero of the day, logging her first hat trick of the season with another assist to boot. Her goal with 19 seconds left is UNC's latest regulation game winner since the sport switch to quarters in 2019. The closest to that mark was Marissa Creatore's goal (assisted by one Erin Matson) to beat Princeton with 24 seconds remaining in Sept. 2019.
➤ UNC followed up the comeback with a comfortable 8-1 win over Cornell on Sunday. Seven different Heels got on the scoresheet as Bruder started the onslaught once again. Kara Heck bagged two as Carolina matched its season high and made it their eighth time eclipsing four goals in a game.

TWO HEELS MAKE JR. WORLD CUP ROSTER
➤ Reese Anetsberger and Dani Mendez were named to the initial 18-athlete roster for the upcoming 2025 FIH Hockey Women's Junior World Cup by USA Field Hockey U-21 head coach Ange Bradley.
➤ The duo will compete in the tournament set to start on Dec. 1, 2025. Pool play will kick off for the No. 6 USWNT with games against No. 13 New Zealand, No. 10 Korea, and No. 22 Uruguay.
➤ Mendez helped the term secure qualification by finishing second at the 2024 Junior Pan Am Championship. She is also one of four members of the squad who competed in '23 Junior World Cup.
➤ Sophomore defender Hope Haynes will be one of two traveling reserves for the squad while freshman goalkeeper Merritt Skubisz was named one of the three standby athletes.

POTENT (P)NOTABLES
➤ Katie Wimmer leads all active goalkeepers in the country with 379 career saves, 354 at Columbia and 24 now at UNC.
➤ UNC Field Hockey has been ranked No. 1 in 32 different seasons, second to only women's soccer (38) in UNC athletics history.
➤ Matson's current win percentage of .912 (52-5) is by far the highest of any active coach in Division I field hockey. Tara Zollinger of Delaware sits in second at .795.

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Players Mentioned

Reese Anetsberger

Charly Bruder

Hope Haynes

Kara Heck

Dani Mendez

Merritt Skubisz

Katie Wimmer

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