Quick Hits
• North Carolina, the nation’s lone remaining unbeaten Division I team, claimed the No. 1 spot in this week’s NFHCA poll. The Tar Heels (8-0) received 35 of a possible 41 first-place votes to move atop the poll for the first time since the opening week of last season. UNC was ranked No. 1 in 28 consecutive polls from Sept. 11, 2018 through early September of last year.
• The ACC’s seven teams among this week’s NFHCA Top 25 again tie for the most of any conference. No. 5 Louisville and No. 7 Virginia join UNC in the top 10. They are followed by No. 13 Syracuse, No. 16 Boston College, No. 17 Wake Forest and No. 22 Duke.
• All seven ACC teams have been ranked among the nation’s top 25 throughout the current season.
• The current rankings set up a trio of marquee ACC matchups on Friday, including a top-10 battle between Louisville and Virginia in Charlottesville. Current conference co-leader Boston College travels to Syracuse, while Wake Forest plays host to Duke.
• UNC has posted five consecutive shutouts heading into Sunday’s match at No. 14 Liberty, the Tar Heels’ longest streak without allowing a goal since 2011.
• With 291 career points, North Carolina fifth-year senior Erin Matson needs 15 more to tie former Maryland All-American Katie O’Donnell’s ACC record of 306. Matson already holds the ACC record for career goals scored with 118, which ties for the fifth-most in NCAA history.
• Virginia took a season-high 26 shots in last Friday’s 3-0 win over Syracuse, but the Cavaliers’ defensive work was equally impressive. It marked the first time in 10 matches this season that the high-scoring Orange has been shut out, and only the third match of the season in which Syracuse has scored fewer than three goals.
• Louisville keeper Sasha Elliott (8-1) carries a 0.89 goals against average and leads the ACC with an .852 save percentage.
Upcoming Schedule
Friday, Sept. 30
Duke at Wake Forest, 2 pm
Louisville at Virginia, 3 pm
Boston College at Syracuse, 4 pm
Sunday, Oct. 2
Boston College at Albany, Noon
Duke at Old Dominion, Noon
Louisville at VCU, 12:30 pm
North Carolina at Liberty, 1 pm
Syracuse vs. James Madison, 1 pm (at Villanova, Pa.)
Davidson at Wake Forest, 1 pm
William & Mary at Virginia, 1 pm
Wednesday, Oct. 5
Stanford at Syracuse, 6 pm, ACC Network
Friday, Oct. 7
North Carolina at Boston College, 4 pm
Louisville at Wake Forest, 5 pm, ACC Network
Virginia at Duke, 6 pm
Sunday, Oct. 9
Louisville at Liberty, Noon
Duke at Richmond, 1 pm
VCU at Wake Forest, 1 pm
North Carolina at UConn, 1 pm
Miami (Ohio) at Virginia, 1 pm
Cornell at Syracuse, 2 pm
Wednesday, Oct. 12
Northeastern at Boston College, 5 pm
Friday, Oct. 14
Syracuse at North Carolina, 4 pm
Wake Forest at Virginia, 5 pm
Duke at Louisville, 6 pm
Sunday, Oct. 16
Duke at Bellarmine, 11 am
Wake Forest at James Madison, 1 pm
Boston College at UConn, 1pm
Ball State at Louisville, 2 pm
Tuesday, Oct. 18
Virginia at Liberty, 4 pm