Field Hockey

2024 ACC Field Hockey Championship to Begin on Tuesday

WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. (theACC.com) – After a highly competitive regular season of Atlantic Coast Conference field hockey, all focus will shift to the 2024 ACC Field Hockey Championship, beginning on Tuesday, November 5, at Kentner Stadium in Winston-Salem, North Carolina. The tournament will run through Friday, November 8
 
Seven-time reigning conference champion North Carolina is the No. 1 seed and will meet ACC-newcomer Cal, the No. 8 seed, in Tuesday’s 10 a.m. ET quarterfinal game. The winner of the Tar Heels and Golden Bears game will meet the winner of No. 4 Virginia and No. 5 Syracuse, whom will meet in the quarterfinals at 12:30 p.m. ET on Tuesday. Wednesday’s first semifinal will be played at 1 p.m. ET.
 
In the second set of quarterfinals on Tuesday, No. 2 Duke will play No. 7 Wake Forest at 3:30 p.m. ET. Tuesday’s nightcap will feature No. 3 Boston College and No. 6 Stanford. The winners of each quarterfinal match will meet in Wednesday's second semifinal, beginning at 3:30 p.m. ET.
 
The championship game will be played at noon ET on Friday. ACC Network will show all tournament action live, with Leah Secondo and Suzanne Bush on the call.
 
On Monday afternoon, North Carolina junior forward Ryleigh Heck was tabbed as the ACC Offensive Player of the Year, while Virginia senior defender Jans Croon was selected as the ACC Defensive Player of the Year. Boston College sophomore Charley Kramer notched ACC Goalkeeper of the Year honors, while California’s Liz Klompmaker earned ACC Freshman of the Year laurels. North Carolina’s Erin Matson was selected as the ACC Coach of the Year. The honors were selected by a vote of the league’s nine head coaches.
 
Five ACC field hockey programs are ranked in this week’s Penn Monto/NFHCA Division I Coaches Poll, including No. 2 North Carolina, No. 3 Virginia, No. 6 Duke, No. 9 Boston College and No. 12 Syracuse.
 
Four of the top five teams in the November 3 RPI rankings hail from the ACC. North Carolina leads the country at No. 1, followed by No. 3 Virginia, No. 4 Boston College and No. 5 Duke. No other conference has more than two teams in the top 10.
 
ACC Field Hockey Weekly Schedule
Tuesday, November 5 – Quarterfinals
#1 North Carolina vs. #8 Cal | 10 a.m. | ACC Network
#4 Virginia vs. #5 Syracuse | 12:30 p.m. | ACC Network
#2 Duke vs. #7 Wake Forest | 3:30 p.m. | ACC Network
#3 Boston College vs. #6 Stanford | 6 p.m. | ACC Network
 
Wednesday, November 6 – Semifinals
Semifinal #1 | 1 p.m. | ACC Network
Semifinal #2 | 3:30 p.m. | ACC Network
 
Friday, November 8 – Championship
2024 ACC Field Hockey Championship Game | Noon | ACC Network
 
Noting ACC Field Hockey
  • The ACC continues to boast the top RPI as a conference, while also leading the way in opponent success, opponent strength of schedule and road RPI. The ACC also ranks second in road success.
  • Four of the top five teams in the Nov. 3 RPI rankings hail from the ACC. North Carolina leads the country at No. 1, followed by No. 3 Virginia, No. 4 Boston College and No. 5 Duke. No other conference has more than two teams in the top 10.
  • North Carolina leads the country in scoring, averaging 4.07 goals per game. The Tar Heels also lead the nation in points per game at 11.80.
  • North Carolina boasts the best goals against average in the country, allowing just 0.50 goals per game. Duke ranks third at 0.60 goals per game.
  • Duke has shut out its opponents 11 times in 16 games played this season. The Blue Devils lead the country with 0.69 shutouts per game. North Carolina ranks third at 0.60 shutouts per game.
  • Cal leads the country in defensive saves with 15 this season. No other ACC team has more than five.
  • North Carolina boasts the third-best save percentage nationally, stopping 82.1 percent of opponents shots. Duke ranks 10th with a 77.8 save percentage.
  • North Carolina has posted an average scoring margin of 3.86, which is the best in the nation.
  • North Carolina's Charly Bruder leads the country in goals per game, scoring 1.40, while Syracuse's Bo van Kempen and Cal's Liz Klompmaker are tied for seventh at 0.94.
  • North Carolina's Ryleigh Heck in tied for the national lead in assists per game at 1.00. Virginia's Emily Field and North Carolina's Pleun Lammers are tied for 10th nationally at 0.67 assists per game.
  • Bruder and Heck both rank in the top three nationally in points per game. Bruder ranks second in country, logging 2.93 points per game while Heck is third, averaging 2.60 points per game.
  • North Carolina's Abigail Taylor ranks third nationally in save percentage, stopping 81.6 percent of shots. Duke's Frederique Taylor ranks fifth at 80.0 percent.
  • Cal's Canisha van Duyn ranks second nationally with seven defensive saves this season. 
  • North Carolina is one of two remaining undefeated teams in Division I field hockey.