Field Hockey

This Week in ACC Field Hockey

CHARLOTTE, N.C. (theACC.com) – Five conference games are on this weekend’s Atlantic Coast Conference field hockey slate as ACC play gets underway. Thursday, September 19, will feature four ACC matches, including Stanford and California making their ACC debuts.
 
The Cardinal will travel to Louisville, Kentucky, to meet the 12th-ranked Cardinals on Friday, September 22, before facing No. 3 Virginia on Sunday, September 20, in Charlottesville, Virginia. Cal heads to Charlottesville to face No. 3 Virginia before battling James Madison on Sunday in Harrisonburg, Virginia. The Golden Bears’ game against the Cavaliers will begin at 6 p.m. ET and will air on ACC Network.
 
Wake Forest will ride a two-game winning streak into the opening weekend of conference play when it travels to face No. 16 Boston College on Friday. The Demon Deacons will stay in Massachusetts to take on UMass Lowell on Sunday. No. 15 Syracuse will take on No. 2 North Carolina on Friday in the ACC opener for both teams.
 
Six teams from the ACC are ranked in the most recent Penn Monto/NFHCA Coaches Poll, which was released on Tuesday, September 17. North Carolina leads the way at No. 2, while No. 3 Virgina and No. 5 Duke also remain in the top five. Louisville is ranked at No. 12, Syracuse sits at No. 15, and Boston College rounds out the ACC grouping at No. 16.
 
Boston College’s Yani Zhong was named the ACC Offensive Player of the Week, while Syracuse’s Vera Hekkenberg earned the league’s Defensive Player of the Week honor for games played last week. Zhong scored three goals throughout two games for Boston College, including two against Maine on Friday, September 13. The Hamburg, Germany, native leads the ACC with 12 total points on the season, while splitting the conference lead in goals with five. Hekkenberg helped lead Syracuse to a pair of wins over Northeastern and Lafayette over the weekend. After playing 30 scoreless minutes in net against Northeastern on Friday, September 13, the Orange once again turned to Hekkenberg in Sunday’s contest. Hekkenberg’s six saves were the most by a Syracuse goalkeeper this season – doubling Louise Pert’s three saves against both No. 14 Ohio State and No. 16 Penn State.
 
ACC Field Hockey Weekly Schedule
Wednesday, September 18
Stanford at Bellarmine | 3 p.m. | ESPN+
 
Friday, September 20
Stanford at #12 Louisville | 4 p.m. | ACCNX
Wake Forest at #16 Boston College | 5 p.m. | ACCNX
#14 Syracuse at #2 North Carolina | 5 p.m. | ACCNX
Cal at #3 Virginia | 6 p.m. | ACC Network
 
Sunday, September 22
#14 Syracuse at Longwood | 11:30 a.m. | ESPN+
Wake Forest at UMass Lowell | Noon | ESPN+
Cal at James Madison | Noon | ESPN+
#12 Louisville at Ball State | Noon
#2 North Carolina at #11 Liberty | Noon | ESPN+
#10 Saint Joseph’s at #5 Duke | Noon | ACCNX
#16 Boston College at New Hampshire | 1 p.m.
Stanford at #3 Virginia | 1 p.m. | ACCNX
 
All Game Times are Eastern Standard Time
 
Noting ACC Field Hockey
  • Five ACC games are scheduled for the opening weekend of conference play. ACC newcomers Cal and Stanford play their first ACC games in program history, while Boston College, Louisville, North Carolina, Syracuse and Wake Forest are also in action.
  • North Carolina has been the ACC's highest-scoring offense this season, averaging 3.25 goals per game. The Tar Heels also rank third nationally in goals against average, allowing just 0.50 goals per game.
  • Boston College's Yani Zhong leads the ACC in points (12) and is tied for the lead in goals (5) with Cal's Liz Klompmaker and Duke's Alaina McVeigh.
  • There is a four-way tie for the league lead in assists with Cal's Canisha van Duyn, Virginia's Emily Field, Syracuse's Annabelle Vossenaar and Boston College's Madelieve Drion, who each have logged four.
  • Three of the five remaining undefeated Division I teams hail from the ACC. Cal, North Carolina and Virginia have combined to win 13 games this season, including six over ranked opponents.
  • ACC newcomers Cal and Stanford have gone 8-1 over the first three weeks, outscoring opponents 23-7.
  • Cal's back line has been tremendous this season, logging five defensive saves, which ranks third nationally.
  • Stanford's Daisy Ford has posted the second-best goals against average in the country, allowing just 0.47 per game. North Carolina's Abigail Taylor, Duke's Frederique Wollaert, Wake Forest's Ellie Todd and Virginia's Tyler Kennedy also rank in the top 10 nationally in the category.
  • Six ACC teams are ranked in the most recent Penn Monto/NFHCA Division I National Coaches Poll, including three in the top five. North Carolina holds steady at No. 2, while 2023 NCAA semifinalists Virginia and Duke came in at No. 3 and No. 5, respectively. Louisville moves to No. 12, Syracuse sits at No. 15 and Boston College remains at No. 16 spot to round out the ACC contingent.
  • 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 441 career wins as she is in her 36th season. Duke's Pam Bustin ranks fifth nationally with 329 wins, while Cal's Shellie Onstead ranks eighth with 297 career victories.