Erin Matson is barely older than her players. But she just coached UNC field hockey to a national title.

Less than a year ago, Erin Matson became one of the youngest Division I coaches in history when, at 22 years old, she was named North Carolina’s head field hockey coach. Last week, she added another historic feat to her list of accomplishments when she won an NCAA championship.

The 23-year-old Chadds Ford native, who won four of a possible five NCAA titles as a player, led the Tar Heels to a 2-1 double-overtime win over Northwestern on Nov. 19. Matson is believed to be the youngest college head coach to win a national title.

“I don’t know which one’s better than the other,” Matson said about winning a championship as a player vs. as a coach. “There’s just something absolutely indescribably beautiful about watching it all unfold and seeing the people you put so much time, energy, effort, love, and passion into it.

“To see them being the ones with the smiles on their faces and tears down their cheeks, hugging and celebrating together, there’s just nothing like it.”

» READ MORE: A year ago, she played for UNC. Now, this Chadds Ford native is the Tar Heels’ head coach at age 23.

After the victory, players including former Eastern standout Ryleigh Heck, who scored the game-winning goal in a shootout, and Episcopal Academy graduate Charly Bruder, boarded a plane to Chile to compete with Team USA in the Junior World Cup.

Matson remembers the quick turnaround. This year, however, she spent time with her family over the holiday break.

As she returned to Chapel Hill, the media requests and celebratory remarks continued to pour in. It’s nothing new, though. All year, Matson and the UNC program have been in the spotlight.

“This year, it was amplified just because of the uniqueness of the story and situation,” Matson said. “But I think just having more eyes on hockey and more people supporting the team has been great.”

Matson had large shoes to fill. She succeeded Karen Shelton, a West Chester graduate who built the Tar Heels into a national powerhouse.

Shelton was in attendance for the final game and celebrated with the team. The legendary coach has reminded Matson that building a top-notch program doesn’t happen in a day. It took her 42 seasons to fulfill that goal.

“I owe everything to her,” Matson said. “She’s the best mentor — she has the stats to back it. She also was right there with me and cares so much about this place, the people, and the program.

“I’d be lying to you if I said there wasn’t pressure. After our loss against Iowa, it was never ‘Oh, the sky is falling.’ It was a response that we want to get better and we want to learn from this. This team proved themselves more than any other team that I’ve witnessed and been a part of. If we just keep working and focus on the process, it will fall. And that’s exactly what they did.”

Matson knew there were going to be holes to fill and adjustments to make on the roster. She wasn’t looking for her squad to go undefeated — in fact, UNC went 18-3. And at first, the goal wasn’t to win a title. It was about staying present and taking it one game at time, she said.

Heck noticed that Matson would focus on the little details and was a perfectionist at the game as a player. It ultimately helped prepare Heck when she was called upon for the final shot.

“She made me a better person and player,” Heck, a sophomore who had 13 goals, said. “Honestly, she did the impossible, and it’s kind of pretty epic to have her as a coach now.

“That [goal] was an incredible, once-in-a-lifetime feeling. I’m so happy that I could be the one to finish it for my team. Just sharing that with them and celebrating was one of the greatest feelings to have.”

“I don’t think for a second that if you have your mind set to something that you can’t achieve it. Chase after it with confidence, and be unapologetic about what you think you can do.”

Matson emphasized two qualities when she was establishing herself as the coach she wanted to be: confidence and trustworthiness. She knows what it’s like to walk in their shoes. The pressure of academics, constant workouts, and wanting to be the best.

It’s not easy to win, but having someone who believes in you, Matson said, makes it easier to want it.

“How I run the program is that we need to always expect high standards and never be satisfied,” she said. “But, at the same time, striking that balance of I believe in you, you can do this, you are here for reason. We are doing this together.”

And now after winning a historic national championship, she has a message for everyone — whether they wear a Tar Heels uniform or not.

“Go after what you want,” Matson said. “It’s going to take work. This didn’t just magically appear and happen. I had to work for this. I had to prepare, have conversations, and plan things to prove to people that I could do it. I started with just going after what my heart was telling me was right. I don’t think for a second that if you have your mind set to something that you can’t achieve it. Chase after it with confidence, and be unapologetic about what you think you can do.”