University of North Carolina Athletics
Friday, October 30
Durham, N.C.
6 PM
North Carolina
at
Duke
Photo by: Jeffrey A. Camarati
October 29, 2026 | Field Hockey
CHAPEL HILL, N.C. – Carolina field hockey is set to make the quick drive up 15/501 to Durham for the annual end-of-year rivalry match with No. 6 Duke at Jack Katz Stadium.
The two programs, separated by a little over eight miles as the crow flies, continue one of college sport's most iconic rivalries. In field hockey, this will be the 102nd time the two have faced with UNC holding an 89-12 advantage. With a win on Friday night, Carolina will claim at least a share of the ACC regular season title and the number one seed in next week's ACC Tournament to be played in Chapel Hill at Karen Shelton Stadium.
Â
SCHEDULE
at #6 Duke - Friday, October 30 – 6 PM ET – ACC Network – Live Stats
Â
#10 North Carolina Tar Heels (10-6)(5-2 ACC)
Head Coach: Erin Matson
Record at UNC: 69-12
Record vs. Duke: 7-0
Â
#6 Duke Blue Devils (12-3)(6-1 ACC)
Head Coach: Pam Bustin
Record at Duke: 200-119
Record vs. UNC: 4-25
Â
SERIES HISTORY
All-Time: UNC 89-12
Current Streak: W15
Chapel Hill: 43-5
Away: 34-6
Neutral Site: 12-1
First Meeting:
FHockey Heels vs. the Blue Devils
➤ Friday's game will be the 102nd all-time meeting between the two programs.Â
➤ Last time they met: These two teams played three differents times within 17 day span last year with all three results coming up Carolina.Â
➤ The first and the last of the games went to overtime and finished with a 2-1 final score. Both played in Chapel Hill. Dani Mendez scored the OT winner on her Senior Day on Oct. 31 and Sanne Hak found the winner in the second round of the NCAA Tournament to send the Heels to their 29th Final Four.Â
➤ The middle contest of the trio came in Louisville in the ACC Tournament. UNC won in a much less dramatic 5-2 game to book their spot in the title game. Mendez scored twice in that one.Â
➤ Since she stepped foot on campus, Erin Matson has never lost to Duke. She boasts a combined 15-0 record with a +32 goal differential as both a player and a coach.
NUMBERS TO KNOW
86 -Â In Erin Matson's tenure as head coach, Carolina has won 86% (12-2) of its ACC road games.
5 -Â Charly Bruder and Ryleigh Heck sit in a tie for the 5th most goals in program history with 74.
3.44 -Â UNC leads the ACC in goals per game with a 3.44 per contest rate.
2 -Â Reese Anetsberger is 2nd in the ACC in assists with eight this season.
0 -Â Erin Matson has never lost to Duke, as a player or coach, holding a combined 15-0 record.
WHAT'S AT STAKE
➤ The final Friday of the ACC regular season always brings dramatics, as all nine teams jostle for positioning in next week's tournament.
➤ This year for Carolina, it's pretty simple. Win and you are the No. 1 seed for the fifth straight season. ➤ A far superior goal difference would give UNC the tie-breaker over Duke and Wake Forest regardless of the outcome of the Demon Deacons' game against Louisville.Â
➤ Lose and you fall to the No. 3 seed.Â
➤ Carolina last held the No. 3 mark in 2021, when it went on to beat Wake Forest, Syracuse, and Virginia to claim its 24th ACC title.Â
➤ The Heels last lost to the Blue Devils in 2017 3-2 in Chapel Hill, the year before Matson's arrival. They last lost in Durham in 2016 3-0. Carolina made the final four both seasons.Â
SPLIT SENIOR WEEKEND
➤ The Heels took split decisions over the weekend with a tight loss to No. 10 Wake Forest 4-3 on Friday before traveling up to the mountains to take a 5-0 win over App State in Boone, N.C., on Sunday.Â
➤ Carolina took a lead in the first two minutes against the Demon Deacons and sat in front 2-1 at halftime, but it was Wake who found more goals in the second half to take the win in the top-10 clash.Â
➤ It was the Demon Deacons first time winning in Chapel Hill since 2006.Â
➤ On Sunday the Tar Heels got back in the win column with a controlled 5-0 shutout of the Mountaineers.Â
➤ Reese Anetsberger had the big day for UNC, scoring two goals and providing an assist in the rout. It was her first collegiate multi-goal game and the first time she'd had more than one scoring contribution in a game.
The two programs, separated by a little over eight miles as the crow flies, continue one of college sport's most iconic rivalries. In field hockey, this will be the 102nd time the two have faced with UNC holding an 89-12 advantage. With a win on Friday night, Carolina will claim at least a share of the ACC regular season title and the number one seed in next week's ACC Tournament to be played in Chapel Hill at Karen Shelton Stadium.
Â
SCHEDULE
at #6 Duke - Friday, October 30 – 6 PM ET – ACC Network – Live Stats
Â
#10 North Carolina Tar Heels (10-6)(5-2 ACC)
Head Coach: Erin Matson
Record at UNC: 69-12
Record vs. Duke: 7-0
Â
#6 Duke Blue Devils (12-3)(6-1 ACC)
Head Coach: Pam Bustin
Record at Duke: 200-119
Record vs. UNC: 4-25
Â
SERIES HISTORY
All-Time: UNC 89-12
Current Streak: W15
Chapel Hill: 43-5
Away: 34-6
Neutral Site: 12-1
First Meeting:
FHockey Heels vs. the Blue Devils
➤ Friday's game will be the 102nd all-time meeting between the two programs.Â
➤ Last time they met: These two teams played three differents times within 17 day span last year with all three results coming up Carolina.Â
➤ The first and the last of the games went to overtime and finished with a 2-1 final score. Both played in Chapel Hill. Dani Mendez scored the OT winner on her Senior Day on Oct. 31 and Sanne Hak found the winner in the second round of the NCAA Tournament to send the Heels to their 29th Final Four.Â
➤ The middle contest of the trio came in Louisville in the ACC Tournament. UNC won in a much less dramatic 5-2 game to book their spot in the title game. Mendez scored twice in that one.Â
➤ Since she stepped foot on campus, Erin Matson has never lost to Duke. She boasts a combined 15-0 record with a +32 goal differential as both a player and a coach.
NUMBERS TO KNOW
86 -Â In Erin Matson's tenure as head coach, Carolina has won 86% (12-2) of its ACC road games.
5 -Â Charly Bruder and Ryleigh Heck sit in a tie for the 5th most goals in program history with 74.
3.44 -Â UNC leads the ACC in goals per game with a 3.44 per contest rate.
2 -Â Reese Anetsberger is 2nd in the ACC in assists with eight this season.
0 -Â Erin Matson has never lost to Duke, as a player or coach, holding a combined 15-0 record.
WHAT'S AT STAKE
➤ The final Friday of the ACC regular season always brings dramatics, as all nine teams jostle for positioning in next week's tournament.
➤ This year for Carolina, it's pretty simple. Win and you are the No. 1 seed for the fifth straight season. ➤ A far superior goal difference would give UNC the tie-breaker over Duke and Wake Forest regardless of the outcome of the Demon Deacons' game against Louisville.Â
➤ Lose and you fall to the No. 3 seed.Â
➤ Carolina last held the No. 3 mark in 2021, when it went on to beat Wake Forest, Syracuse, and Virginia to claim its 24th ACC title.Â
➤ The Heels last lost to the Blue Devils in 2017 3-2 in Chapel Hill, the year before Matson's arrival. They last lost in Durham in 2016 3-0. Carolina made the final four both seasons.Â
SPLIT SENIOR WEEKEND
➤ The Heels took split decisions over the weekend with a tight loss to No. 10 Wake Forest 4-3 on Friday before traveling up to the mountains to take a 5-0 win over App State in Boone, N.C., on Sunday.Â
➤ Carolina took a lead in the first two minutes against the Demon Deacons and sat in front 2-1 at halftime, but it was Wake who found more goals in the second half to take the win in the top-10 clash.Â
➤ It was the Demon Deacons first time winning in Chapel Hill since 2006.Â
➤ On Sunday the Tar Heels got back in the win column with a controlled 5-0 shutout of the Mountaineers.Â
➤ Reese Anetsberger had the big day for UNC, scoring two goals and providing an assist in the rout. It was her first collegiate multi-goal game and the first time she'd had more than one scoring contribution in a game.
Players Mentioned
F
/ Field Hockey
F
/ Field Hockey
M
/ Field Hockey
F
/ Field Hockey
F/M
/ Field HockeyFriday, October 30
Thursday, October 29
Thursday, October 29
Thursday, October 29