Erin Matson, the head coach of the reigning national champion UNC field hockey team and a four-time national champion as a player, has been denied the opportunity to try out for the U.S. Olympic team at its trials in Charlotte on Monday. Matson confirmed the news via a statement on social media Thursday night. Previous reports from the Philadelphia Inquirer and the News & Observer indicated USA Field Hockey had deemed Matson ineligible to play and thus denied her a tryout. Her statement contradicts this. Matson’s statement goes on to say USA Field Hockey expressed a desire to meet with her to discuss her “potential involvement” in the 2026 FIH (International Hockey Federation) World Cup and the 2028 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles, but not this summer’s upcoming Games in Paris. Matson declined the invitation, saying she “felt it unfair to take time and attention away from a group in Charlotte that would be training and focusing on 2024. There is plenty of time after the Paris Games t...