Battles of Ranked Teams Abound as ACC Field Hockey Begins League Play

Quick Hits

Conference play opens on Friday with a three-game league slate that includes a top-four national matchup as No. 2 North Carolina (6-0) travels to No. 4 Louisville (6-0). UNC enters regular-season league play as the five-time defending ACC champion, but Louisville claimed the top spot in the final regular-season standings in 2021 and during the 2020 fall season. The teams are a combined 6-0 versus fellow ranked opponents this season, including common wins versus a pair of other teams currently ranked among the nations top 10 in No. 7 Michigan and No. 8 Princeton.

North Carolina will enter the Louisville match leading the Nation in both scoring average (4.78 ppg) and scoring margin (3.79 ppg). Louisville ranks among the nations top defensive teams, having allowed just five goals through six games.

Louisville has not yielded multiple goals in any game this season, and Cardinals goalkeeper Sasha Elliott was named the Division I NFHCA Defensive Player of the Week on Wednesday for her standout play in last weekend’s wins over James Madison and Michigan

The ACC boasts three of the nations top eight players in goals scored per game in Wake Forests Meike Lanckohr (tied for third at 1.20 gpg) and North Carolinas Erin Matson and Quirine Comans (tied for seventh at 1.17 gpg).

Other ACC openers on Friday include No. 9 Virginia at No. 21 Boston College, and No. 18 Duke at No. 10 Syracuse. Well. 17 Wake Forest has an open weekend in terms of ACC play, but welcomes Richmond for a non-league test on Friday and is set to travel to No. 23 Ohio State on Sunday.

Sundays busy non-conference slate also includes No. 9 Virginias 2 pm home game versus No. 12 St. Josephs that will be carried live by ACC Network.

UNC’s Matson has pushed her all-time ACC record for career goals scored to 116, 15 more than the No. 2 players on the list. Her 287 career points rank second all-time behind the 306 scored by former Maryland All-American Katie O’Donnell from 2007-10.

Upcoming Schedule
Friday, Sept. 16

North Carolina at Louisville, 3 p.m
Virginia at Boston College, 4 p.m
Richmond at Wake Forest, 4 p.m
Duke at Syracuse, 5 p.m

Sunday, Sept. 18

Monmouth at Boston College, Noon
Fairfield at Louisville, Noon
Wake Forest at Ohio State, 1 p.m
Duke at Colgate, 1 p.m
Hofstra at Syracuse, 1 p.m
St. Josephs at Virginia, 2 p.m., ACC Network

Friday, Sept. 23

Syracuse at Virginia, 4 p.m
Wake Forest at North Carolina, 4 p.m
Indiana at Louisville, 6 p.m
Boston College at Duke, 6 p.m., ACC Network

Sunday, Sept. 25

Wake Forest at Appalachian State, Noon
Dartmouth at Syracuse, 1 p.m
James Madison at Duke, 1 p.m

Friday, Sept. 30

Louisville at Virginia, 3 p.m
Boston College at Syracuse, 4 p.m
Duke at Wake Forest, 5 p.m

Sunday, Oct. 2

Boston College at Albany, Noon
Duke at Old Dominion, Noon
Louisville at VCU, 12:30 p.m
North Carolina at Liberty, 1 p.m
Syracuse vs. James Madison, 1 p.m. (at Villanova, Pa.)
Davidson at Wake Forest, 1 p.m
William & Mary at Virginia, 1 p.m

Wednesday, Oct. 5

Stanford at Syracuse, 6 p.m., ACC Network

Friday, Oct. 7

North Carolina at Boston College, 4 p.m
Louisville at Wake Forest, 5 p.m., ACC Network
Virginia at Duke, 6 p.m