Emily Wold Emily Wold is putting her stamp on the University of North Carolina’s field hockey program.
The former Freehold High School star has led the Tar Heels to their 20th NCAA Final Four while garnering historic individual honors.
Wold, a senior midfielder and team captain, was recently named to the All-Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) Team for a fourth time, making her just the 13th athlete in ACC history to be honored that many times.
North Carolina won the ACC Tournament Championship for the 19th time, defeating Syracuse University, 2-1, in overtime in the finals played at the University of Virginia in Charlottesville. Wold was named to the All-ACC Tournament Team, as well as being the tournament’s Most Valuable Player.
“Our season isn’t over yet. I can’t wait to see what’s ahead of us,” Wold said in a prepared statement following the win.
What’s ahead is a trip back to the Final Four.
North Carolina (20-2) opened NCAA Tournament play at home Nov. 14 defeating Boston University, 4-2, in the first round. The Tar Heels eliminated the University of Michigan, 1-0, in the quarterfinals Nov. 15 to advance to the Final Four for the seventh consecutive year. The Final Four was in Ann Arbor, Michigan, Nov. 20 and 22. Wold is enjoying the best scoring season of her career with 14 goals and 11 assists. Her assist total tops the team, while she is second-best in goals.
The All-American teams will be announced after the season, and it’s a sure bet Wold will become a four-time All-American. She was a third team pick as a freshman and has been named first team All- American the last two years.
The ex-Colonials standout has been voted by her teammates as North Carolina’s Player’s Player of the Year twice.
Wold’s brilliance goes beyond college. She is a member of the U.S. Women’s National Team that captured the gold medal at last summer’s Pan-American Games in Toronto, Canada. She’ll have a chance to represent the U.S. at next summer’s Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
In high school, Wold put Freehold on the map and raised the level of play at the school and in the Freehold Regional High School District.
Wold led the Colonials to back-to-back NJSIAA Group III state championships her junior and senior years.
While at Freehold, Wold made the U.S. Junior National Team and was a two-time All-American. She was the News Transcript’s Senior Female Athlete of the Year.