DURHAM, N.C. –  Ranee Premji and Bianca Gray scored goals in the last 11 minutes of the first half to lift top-ranked North Carolina to a 2-0 victory over UNC Greensboro Friday afternoon in the Duke Nike Classic at Koskinen Stadium.  The Tar Heels improved to 5-0 on the season with the victory while the Spartans fell to 1-4.

Tar Heel head coach Anson Dorrance made liberal use of his bench Friday as 21 different Carolina players saw action, all playing at least 23 minutes.  Freshman Caitlin Ball made her first career start, stepping in for the injured Satara Murray in the flat back three and playing 52 minutes.

Carolina’s first goal came in the 35^th minute.  Emmalie Pfankuch and Ranee Premji worked a perfect give-and-go leading to Premji’s third goal of the season at the 34:46 mark.  Premji fed Pfankuch at the top of the penalty area and the senior forward from Fort Collins, Colo., returned the favor as Premji finished from 12 yards out into the lower left corner of the frame.  Premji has three goals in the first five games of the 2011 season after scoring just one goal in her first two seasons as a Tar Heel.

The Tar Heels doubled their lead just 42 seconds before halftime as freshman Bianca Gray tallied her first career goal off a nifty passing scheme by the Tar Heels in the penalty area.  Crystal Dunn dribbled across the top of the 18-yard box and dumped it off to Premji about 15 yards out on the right.  Premji immediately redirected the ball across the penalty area to Gray and the Havelock, N.C., finished in a composed way, scoring from eight yards out on the left side, sending her shot into the right corner of the goal.

That was all the Tar Heels needed on the day as Dorrance gave most of the second half to his reserve players, subbing out most of the starting 11 just 15 minutes into the second session.  Crystal Dunn was the last starter to leave the pitch with 22:33 remaining.

Carolina outshot UNCG 18-4, including an 11-0 edge in the first half.  Adelaide Gay started for the Tar Heels in goal for the third straight game and earned the decision, going to 3-0 on the year.  She did not face a shot.  Sophomore Anna Sieloff played the second half and made one save in the final 45 minutes.  It was Sieloff’s first action of the 2011 season.  The Spartans’ first shot did not come until the 72:45 mark of the match.  Kelsey Kearney made four saves for the Spartans.

Shots on goal finished 6-1 in UNC’s favor while Carolina had a 5-3 edge in corner kicks.

Carolina will return to the pitch on Sunday in the Duke Nike Classic when the Tar Heels meet Texas A&M at 12 noon.  The Aggies are 3-4 on the season after suffering 7-2 loss to Duke on Friday.

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