University of North Carolina Athletics
Tuesday, November 3
Chapel Hill
10 AM
North Carolina
vs
Stanford
November 2, 2026 | Field Hockey
CHAPEL HILL, N.C. – Carolina field hockey plays host for the 2026 ACC Championship this week at Karen Shelton Stadium as the program seeks it's 29th conference championship and 10th in a row.
The nine time defending champs enter the tournament as the No. 1 seed for the fifth straight season. Head coach Erin Matson has delivered an ACC trophy in each of her three previous seasons, currently holding a perfect 8-0 record in tourney games.
SCHEDULE
Tuesday, November 3rd, 2026: Quarterfinals Gameday
Admission is free!
#1 North Carolina Tar Heels (11-6)(6-2 ACC)
Head Coach: Erin Matson
Record at UNC: 70-12
Record vs. Stanford: 3-0
#8 Stanford Cardinal (10-7)(2-6 ACC)
Head Coach: Roz Ellis
Record at Stanford: 43-55
Record vs. UNC: 0-4
FHOCKEY HEELS VS. THE CARDINAL
➤ Friday's game will be the 19th all-time meeting between the two programs.
➤ Stanford won the first contest back in 1984, but it's been all Heels since with 17 straight victories.
➤ UNC is a combined 34-2 across the last seven games in the series.
➤ North Carolina's veteran defender Grace Pottebaum's younger sister Esther is a midfielder for the Cardinal.
➤ Last time they met: Carolina rolled to an 8-1 win over the Cardinal when these teams met earlier this season.
➤ The eight goals tied for the most UNC has scored in 2026. Carolina ran out to an 8-0 advantage before a Stanford goal in the final three minutes of the game broke up the shutout.
➤ It was the first game back on the field for fifth-year grad students Sietske Brüning, Ryleigh Heck and Dani Mendez. Heck celebrated with a pair of goals and an assist.
NUMBERS TO KNOW
28 - Carolina has conquered the ACC 28 times, more than all of the other programs combined (15).
15 - Ryleigh Heck scored twice on Friday night to lead the Heels to a win over Duke. She has 15 multi-goal games in her storied career.
11 - This will be the 11th time Carolina has hosted the ACC Tournament, winning on nine of those occasions.
9 - UNC has won nine straight ACC Tournament titles, an incredible run that started in 2017.
5 - The Heels have been the No. 1 seed in the ACC Tourney five straight seasons and 23 times overall.
A GREAT DAY TO BE A TAR HEEL
➤ The Heels took the quick trip north to Durham to face No. 6 Duke and came home with a crucial 2-1 victory over their crosstown rivals. The victory clinched a share of the 2026 ACC regular season championship for UNC, along with the No. 1 seed in the ACC Tournament.
➤ Carolina finished the regular season tied atop the conference standings with Duke and Wake Forest, but a superior goal differential gave Carolina the top seed for the fifth straight season.
➤ It was the 16th straight win for UNC over Duke, spanning the entirety of Erin Matson's career in Chapel Hill.
➤ Heck was the star for the Tar Heels, scoring both goals to carry her team across the finish line. The veteran has found the back of the net seven times in nine games against Duke.
➤ Tessa Shahbo made four important saves in her third start of the season to ensure victory for the Heels.
AUGUST. SEPTEMBER. OCTOBER. CAROLINA.
➤ We have officially entered the field hockey postseason. It is a time of year that has historically been dominated by the North Carolina Tar Heels.
➤ The stretch run annually kicks off in November with UNC's complete control of the ACC. The Tar Heels have won 28 ACC Championships, more than all of the other programs combined (15).
➤ No current member has more than four titles (Wake Forest). Former ACC constituent Maryland won 10.
➤ The Heels hold a 71-15 all-time record in ACC Tournament play.
➤ Carolina comes in to this year's tourney having won the last nine consecutively. Maryland's four titles in-a-row from 1998-2001 is the second longest streak.
➤ UNC has been the No. 1 seed 23 times now and each of the last five years. It is 43-2 overall when playing as the top seed, claiming 20 of its 28 titles from that position.
The nine time defending champs enter the tournament as the No. 1 seed for the fifth straight season. Head coach Erin Matson has delivered an ACC trophy in each of her three previous seasons, currently holding a perfect 8-0 record in tourney games.
SCHEDULE
Tuesday, November 3rd, 2026: Quarterfinals Gameday
- Game 1: 10:00 AM-#8 Stanford vs #1 North Carolina
- Game 2: 12:30 PM-#5 Louisville vs #4 Syracuse
- Game 3: 3:30 PM-#7 Virginia vs #2 Wake Forest
- Game 4: 6:00 PM-#6 Boston College vs #3 Duke
- Semifinal 1: 1:00 PM-Winner of Game 1 vs Winner of Game 2
- Semifinal 2: 3:30 PM-Winner of Game 3 vs Winner of Game 4
- Championship: 3:00 PM-Winner of Semifinal 1 vs Winner of Semifinal 2
Admission is free!
#1 North Carolina Tar Heels (11-6)(6-2 ACC)
Head Coach: Erin Matson
Record at UNC: 70-12
Record vs. Stanford: 3-0
#8 Stanford Cardinal (10-7)(2-6 ACC)
Head Coach: Roz Ellis
Record at Stanford: 43-55
Record vs. UNC: 0-4
FHOCKEY HEELS VS. THE CARDINAL
➤ Friday's game will be the 19th all-time meeting between the two programs.
➤ Stanford won the first contest back in 1984, but it's been all Heels since with 17 straight victories.
➤ UNC is a combined 34-2 across the last seven games in the series.
➤ North Carolina's veteran defender Grace Pottebaum's younger sister Esther is a midfielder for the Cardinal.
➤ Last time they met: Carolina rolled to an 8-1 win over the Cardinal when these teams met earlier this season.
➤ The eight goals tied for the most UNC has scored in 2026. Carolina ran out to an 8-0 advantage before a Stanford goal in the final three minutes of the game broke up the shutout.
➤ It was the first game back on the field for fifth-year grad students Sietske Brüning, Ryleigh Heck and Dani Mendez. Heck celebrated with a pair of goals and an assist.
NUMBERS TO KNOW
28 - Carolina has conquered the ACC 28 times, more than all of the other programs combined (15).
15 - Ryleigh Heck scored twice on Friday night to lead the Heels to a win over Duke. She has 15 multi-goal games in her storied career.
11 - This will be the 11th time Carolina has hosted the ACC Tournament, winning on nine of those occasions.
9 - UNC has won nine straight ACC Tournament titles, an incredible run that started in 2017.
5 - The Heels have been the No. 1 seed in the ACC Tourney five straight seasons and 23 times overall.
A GREAT DAY TO BE A TAR HEEL
➤ The Heels took the quick trip north to Durham to face No. 6 Duke and came home with a crucial 2-1 victory over their crosstown rivals. The victory clinched a share of the 2026 ACC regular season championship for UNC, along with the No. 1 seed in the ACC Tournament.
➤ Carolina finished the regular season tied atop the conference standings with Duke and Wake Forest, but a superior goal differential gave Carolina the top seed for the fifth straight season.
➤ It was the 16th straight win for UNC over Duke, spanning the entirety of Erin Matson's career in Chapel Hill.
➤ Heck was the star for the Tar Heels, scoring both goals to carry her team across the finish line. The veteran has found the back of the net seven times in nine games against Duke.
➤ Tessa Shahbo made four important saves in her third start of the season to ensure victory for the Heels.
AUGUST. SEPTEMBER. OCTOBER. CAROLINA.
➤ We have officially entered the field hockey postseason. It is a time of year that has historically been dominated by the North Carolina Tar Heels.
➤ The stretch run annually kicks off in November with UNC's complete control of the ACC. The Tar Heels have won 28 ACC Championships, more than all of the other programs combined (15).
➤ No current member has more than four titles (Wake Forest). Former ACC constituent Maryland won 10.
➤ The Heels hold a 71-15 all-time record in ACC Tournament play.
➤ Carolina comes in to this year's tourney having won the last nine consecutively. Maryland's four titles in-a-row from 1998-2001 is the second longest streak.
➤ UNC has been the No. 1 seed 23 times now and each of the last five years. It is 43-2 overall when playing as the top seed, claiming 20 of its 28 titles from that position.
Players Mentioned
F
/ Field Hockey
F/M
/ Field Hockey
B
/ Field Hockey
GK
/ Field HockeyTuesday, November 03
Tuesday, November 03
Tuesday, November 03
Tuesday, November 03