North Carolina
UNC field hockey coach reflects on coaching Heels to championship at 23
Erin Matson is still on cloud nine after leading the Tar Heels to the women's field hockey national championship on Sunday.
If you previously used a social network to login to WRALSportsFan.com, click the “Forgot your password” link to reset your password.
Erin Matson is still on cloud nine after leading the Tar Heels to the women's field hockey national championship on Sunday.
PENALTY SHOOTOUT BEATING NORTHWESTERN TO THE ONES THE BEST WAY TO A WHITE OR SO WITH THIS WHEN THIS IS A SPECIAL WIN. >> HER VERY FIRST YEAR AS HEAD COACH LEADING UNC CHAPEL HILL FIELD HOCKEY AARON MATCH AND HAS NOW BECOME THE YOUNGEST COLLEGE HEAD COACH TO EVER WIN A NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP. AND AS YOU SEE, THE CHAMP IS HERE. JOINING US NOW IS ERIN MATSON HERSELF AARON, OK, YOU'VE HAD SEVERAL HOURS TO PROCESS IT. HOW ARE YOU? AND THE TEAM FEELING AFTER THE >> I STILL IT STILL DOES NOT FEEL REAL. I AM SO AMAZED. I'M SO PROUD THE STAFF WAS TEXTING THIS MORNING. I SAW A COUPLE GIRLS COMING IN HERE TODAY. EVERYONE. AND IT'S JUST AN INCREDIBLE FEELING. EVERYONE STILL IN UTTER DISBELIEF. HAHA. NOW IT'S BEEN A WHIRLWIND, BUT A GREAT ONE. YOU KNOW, AND YOU'RE SO DECORATED ALREADY. SOME PEOPLE WHO MAY NOT FOLLOW FIELD HOCKEY. YOU KNOW, YOU ARE STAR PLAYER JUST RECENTLY YOUR 3 TIME NATIONAL PLAYER OF THE YEAR FOR TIME. NATIONAL CHAMPION YOURSELF. BUT NOW YOUR NATIONAL CHAMPION AS A COACH. HOW DOES IT FEEL DIFFERENT WINNING? YOU'RE LEADING THE TEAM AS A COACH IS OPPOSED TO A PLAYER. SURE. I THINK, YOU KNOW, IT'S A FAMILIAR FEELING. IT'S A GREAT FEELING. WE LOVE WINNING AND THE CHAMPIONSHIP TROPHY. YOU KNOW IT. IT FEELS IT'S IT'S VERY SPECIAL. EVERY SINGLE TIME IT HAPPENS. BUT THERE'S SOMETHING SO DIFFERENT ABOUT BEING A PLAYER AND DOING THE WORK YOURSELF AND BEING OUT THERE WITHIN THE WHITE LINES. AND THEN NOW IT'S, YOU KNOW, I WANT IT SO BADLY FOR THEM. I WANTED SO BADLY FOR THE STAFF IT IS PURELY EVERYBODY ELSE AROUND YOU THAT YOU WANT THEM TO FEEL THAT FEELING. SO IT'S IT'S A DIFFERENT KIND OF AND RELIEF FUND AND EVERYTHING ENCOMPASSED IN IT. I'M JUST SO PROUD. IT'S A IT'S A DIFFERENT PERSPECTIVE, BUT IT'S WONDERFUL TO TAKE A STEP BACK AND SEE THEM CELEBRATING AND HUGGING AND SMILING. AND I WATCH THESE VIDEOS ON REPEAT. BECAUSE IT'S ALL ABOUT THEM. WE'RE SHOWING THE VIDEO NOW. I FEEL LIKE I'M GETTING CHILLS JUST WATCHING IT. YOU GET SO EMOTIONAL. IT'S SUCH A HUGE WIN AND AT THE HIGHEST LEVEL OF COLLEGE SPORTS. SO WE WERE SPECULATING BEHIND THE SCENES. WHAT IS ERIN MATSON DO NEXT? >> I MEAN, WHAT YOU'VE DONE IT ALL WHEN IT COMES TO YOUR SPORT. WHAT DO YOU WANT TO ACCOMPLISH NEXT? >> SURE, I MEAN, I WILL NEVER BE SICK OF TROPHIES. NO ONE HERE WILL. WE ARE COMPLETELY OBSESSED WITH WINNING AND CHASING EXCELLENCE AND PERFECTION AND EVERYTHING. SO IT'S WHY YOU COME TO CAROLINA. YOU WANT TO BE, YOU KNOW, THE BEST OF WHAT YOU DO AND SURROUNDED BY PEOPLE HAVE THE SAME MINDSET. SO, YOU KNOW, IF THAT HAPPENED GREAT, BUT I'LL HAVE THE SAME MINDSET I HAD AS A PLAYER. YOU CAN NEVER WIN TOO MUCH IN MY OPINION. AND THE TEAM THRIVES OFF OF THAT YEAR IN AND YEAR OUT. SO WILL ENJOY. THIS WILL CELEBRATE. IT WILL BE PROUD. AND THEN, YOU KNOW, WE'LL HIT THE GROUND RUNNING IN SPRING AND TRY TO DO IT ALL OVER AGAIN NEXT YEAR. YOU KNOW, GET TO LIKE 10 SECONDS ARE JUST REAL CURIOUS. YOU CAN STILL DO IT YOURSELF, RIGHT? OH, YEAH. THEY GAVE US I I YES, I STILL COME THOUGHT AND THANK YOU SO MUCH. I THINK AARON'S GOING COACHING ANOTHER SPORT. SHE'S JUST SO GOOD AT WINNING. SHE'S AN HONEST ALL-ROUNDER, EVERYBODY. ERIN MATSON JOINING