After the game was tied at 1-1 with two third-period goals, UNC and Northwestern were sent to 2OT and a penalty shootout to determine the winner of the 2023 DI field hockey championship. In the second round of the shootout, NU’s Peyton Halsey missed the first shot, followed by UNC’s Ryleigh Heck, who — with her back to the goal — dribbled the ball around GK Annabel Skubisz and shot it to the right side for the ‘chip.
In her first year at the helm of the UNC field hockey program, Erin Matson is the youngest college head coach to win a national championship. The Tar Heels finished 18-3 (5-1 ACC) on the season and won their sixth consecutive ACC title en route to their 11th program national championship; their fifth in six years.
2023 NCAA DI field hockey bracket
See the interactive bracket | Get the .PDF
Tournament schedule
National Championship | Nov. 19 | ESPNU
Semifinals | Nov. 17
Second round | Nov. 12
First round | Nov. 10
Opening round | Nov. 8
2023 NCAA DI field hockey championship history
North Carolina won the 2022 national championship over Northwestern, 2-1.
Here’s the complete history of the championship:
| YEAR | CHAMPION (RECORD) | COACH | SCORE | RUNNER-UP | SITE |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 | North Carolina (18-3) | Erin Matson | 2-1 | Northwestern | North Carolina |
| 2022 | North Carolina (21-0) | Karen Shelton | 2-1 | Northwestern | Connecticut |
| 2021 | Northwestern (18-5) | Tracey Fuchs | 2-0 | Liberty | Michigan |
| 2020 | North Carolina (19-1) | Karen Shelton | 4-3 | Michigan | North Carolina |
| 2019 | North Carolina (23-0) | Karen Shelton | 6-1 | Princeton | Wake Forest |
| 2018 | North Carolina (23-0) | Karen Shelton | 2-0 | Maryland | Louisville |
| 2017 | Connecticut (23-0) | Nancy Stevens | 2-1 | Maryland | Louisville |
| 2016 | Delaware (23-2) | Rolf van de Kerkhof | 3-2 | North Carolina | Old Dominion |
| 2015 | Syracuse (21-1) | Ange Bradley | 4-2 | North Carolina | Michigan |
| 2014 | Connecticut (20-3) | Nancy Stevens | 1-0 | Syracuse | Maryland |
| 2013 | Connecticut (21-4) | Nancy Stevens | 2-0 | Duke | Old Dominion |
| 2012 | Princeton (20-1) | Kristen Holmes-Winn | 3-2 | North Carolina | Old Dominion |
| 2011 | Maryland (19-4) | Missy Meharg | 3-2 (ot) | North Carolina | Louisville |
| 2010 | Maryland (23-1) | Missy Meharg | 3-2 (2 ot) | North Carolina | Maryland |
| 2009 | North Carolina (20-2) | Karen Shelton | 3-2 | Maryland | Wake Forest |
| 2008 | Maryland (22-2) | Missy Meharg | 4-2 | Wake Forest | Louisville |
| 2007 | North Carolina (24-0) | Karen Shelton | 3-0 | Penn State | Maryland |
| 2006 | Maryland (23-2) | Missy Meharg | 1-0 | Wake Forest | Wake Forest |
| 2005 | Maryland (23-2) | Missy Meharg | 1-0 | Duke | Louisville |
| 2004 | Wake Forest (20-3) | Jennifer Averill | 3-0 | Duke | Wake Forest |
| 2003 | Wake Forest (22-1) | Jennifer Averill | 3-1 | Duke | Massachusetts |
| 2002 | Wake Forest (20-2) | Jennifer Averill | 2-0 | Penn State | Louisville |
| 2001 | Michigan (18-5) | Marcia Pankratz | 2-0 | Maryland | Kent State |
| 2000 | Old Dominion (25-1) | Beth Anders | 3-1 | North Carolina | Old Dominion |
| 1999 | Maryland (24-1) | Missy Meharg | 2-1 | Michigan | Northeastern |
| 1998 | Old Dominion (23-2) | Beth Anders | 3-2 | Princeton | Penn |
| 1997 | North Carolina (20-3) | Karen Shelton | 3-2 | Old Dominion | Connecticut |
| 1996 | North Carolina (23-1) | Karen Shelton | 3-0 | Princeton | Boston College |
| 1995 | North Carolina (24-0) | Karen Shelton | 5-1 | Maryland | Wake Forest |
| 1994 | James Madison (20-3-1) | Christy Morgan | 2-1 (2 ot)* | North Carolina | Northeastern |
| 1993 | Maryland (21-3) | Missy Meharg | 2-1 (2 ot)* | North Carolina | Rutgers |
| 1992 | Old Dominion (25-0) | Beth Anders | 4-0 | Iowa | VCU |
| 1991 | Old Dominion (26-0) | Beth Anders | 2-0 | North Carolina | Villanova |
| 1990 | Old Dominion (23-2-1) | Beth Anders | 5-0 | North Carolina | Rutgers |
| 1989 | North Carolina (20-2) | Karen Shelton | 2-1 (3 ot)* | Old Dominion | Springfield |
| 1988 | Old Dominion (26-1) | Beth Anders | 2-1 | Iowa | Penn |
| 1987 | Maryland (18-4-1) | Sue Tyler | 2-1 (ot) | North Carolina | North Carolina |
| 1986 | Iowa (19-2-1) | Judith Davidson | 2-1 (2 ot) | New Hampshire | Old Dominion |
| 1985 | Connecticut (19-2) | Diane Wright | 3-2 | Old Dominion | Old Dominion |
| 1984 | Old Dominion (23-0) | Beth Anders | 5-1 | Iowa | Springfield |
| 1983 | Old Dominion (23-0) | Beth Anders | 3-1 (3 ot) | Connecticut | Penn |
| 1982 | Old Dominion (20-1) | Beth Anders | 3-2 | Connecticut | Temple |
| 1981 | Connecticut (15-2-3) | Diane Wright | 4-1 | Massachusetts | Connecticut |
