Field Hockey

Nine ACC Teams Set to Begin 2024 Field Hockey Season on Friday

CHARLOTTE, N.C. (theACC.com) – As the 2024 Atlantic Coast Conference Field Hockey season begins on Friday, the league once again looks to be the best in the country. The ACC has claimed five of the past six national championships, all belonging to North Carolina.
 
As the season gets underway, seven teams throughout the nine-team league are ranked in the Penn Monto/NFHCA Division I National Coaches Poll, including five in the top 10. Reigning back-to-back NCAA Field Hockey National Champions North Carolina leads the way at No. 2, while 2023 national semifinalists Virginia and Duke came in at No. 3 and No. 5, respectively. Louisville begins the season at No. 7 with Syracuse rounding at the top 10 at No. 10. Boston College earns the No. 17 spot and Wake Forest rounds out the ACC contingent in a tie for 18th.
 
ACC teams will open the season with seven ranked matches. Friday’s slate will feature four top 20 contests as No. 18 Wake Forest battles No. 6 Iowa at 3 p.m., No. 3 Virginia travels to No. 16 Penn State at 4 p.m., No. 7 Louisville meets No. 4 Maryland on the road at 6 p.m., and No. 2 North Carolina battles No. 12 Michigan at 6 p.m. in Ann Arbor. On Sunday, the ACC will have three more top 20 contests as No. 2 North Carolina faces No. 6 Iowa at 10:30 a.m., No. 10 Syracuse travels to No. 16 Penn State at noon, and No. 18 Wake Forest faces No. 12 Michigan at 2 p.m.
 
Preseason league favorites Virginia also led the way with four selections to the Preseason All-ACC team with Daniela Mendez Trendler, Jans Croon, Noa Boterman and Tyler Kennedy leading the way. Duke and North Carolina had three selections each, while Boston College, Louisville, Syracuse and Wake Forest each had one selection.
 
ACC Field Hockey Weekly Schedule
Friday, August 30
William & Mary at No. 5 Duke | 2 p.m. | ACCNX
No. 18 Wake Forest vs. No. 6 Iowa (at Ann Arbor, Mich.) | 3 p.m. | B1G+
No. 10 Syracuse at Lock Haven | 3 p.m. | PSAC-SDN
Stanford vs. Ohio (at Muncie, Ind.) | 3 p.m.
No. 3 Virginia at No. 16 Penn State | 4 p.m. | B1G+
Northeastern at No. 17 Boston College | 5 p.m. | ACCNX
No. 7 Louisville at No. 4 Maryland | 6 p.m. | B1G+
No. 2 North Carolina at No. 12 Michigan | 6 p.m. | B1G+
 
Sunday, Sept. 1
No. 2 North Carolina vs. No. 6 Iowa (at Ann Arbor, Mich.) | 10:30 a.m. | B1G+
UMass Lowell at No. 5 Duke | Noon | ACCNX
No. 10 Syracuse at No. 16 Penn State | Noon | B1G+
No. 7 Louisville at American | 1 p.m. | ESPN+
Stanford at Ball State | 1 p.m.
Boston University at No. 17 Boston College | 1 p.m. | ACCNX
No. 18 Wake Forest at No. 12 Michigan | 2 p.m. | B1G+
Michigan State at Cal | 4 p.m. | ACCNX
 
Noting ACC Field Hockey
  • The ACC has three teams ranked in the top five nationally and five teams ranked inside the top 10.
  • Four of the league's five leading goal scorers from a year ago – Alaina McVeigh (Duke), Charly Bruder (North Carolina), Ryleigh Heck (North Carolina) and Margo Carlin (Boston College) - all return for another season.
  • Virginia was selected as the preseason favorites to win the ACC, totaling 76 points in the preseason poll. The Cavaliers and North Carolina each earned four first-place votes, while Duke added one. North Carolina, the defending national champions, finished second with 75 points, while Duke (63), Louisville (46) and Syracuse (46) rounded out the top five.
  • North Carolina has won each of the last seven ACC Field Hockey Championships. The Tar Heels are also the reigning back-to-back national champions and have won the national championship in six of the past seven seasons.
  • The ACC had three of the four teams competing in the national semifinals in 2023.
  • The ACC has placed at least one team among the NCAA Women’s Field Hockey final four for the 34th time in the last 35 years. Additionally, 47 of the last 84 teams to reach the national semifinals have been ACC teams.
  • In addition to being the preseason league favorites, Virginia also led the way with four selections to the Preseason All-ACC team with Daniela Mendez Trendler, Jans Croon, Noa Boterman and Tyler Kennedy leading the way. Duke and North Carolina had three selections each, while Boston College, Louisville, Syracuse and Wake Forest each had one selection.
  • Former Virginia standout Pien Dicke won a gold medal with the Dutch field hockey team at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games.
  • Six student-athletes from ACC member institutions represented the United States at the Olympics. North Carolina led the way with three (Ashley Hoffman, Cassie Sumfest and Meredith Sholder), while Cal (Megan Valzonis), Duke (Leah Crouse) and Stanford (Kelsey Bing) each had one representative. The ACC accounted for more than one-third of the Team USA roster.
  • Wake Forest's Jennifer Averill is the winningest active coach in the ACC and the third-winningest active coach in Division I field hockey. Averill has logged 439 career wins entering her 36th season. Duke's Pam Bustin ranks fifth nationally with 324 wins, while Cal's Shellie Onstead ranks eighth with 293 career victories.
  • ACC Network (ACCN), the 24/7 national platform dedicated to league sports coverage, is slated to broadcast 15 field hockey games this season, including every contest in the ACC Championship.