TALLAHASSEE, FLA. –  Ninth-ranked North Carolina got first half goals from Amber Brooks and Courtney Jones as it defeated Florida State 2-0 before a crowd of 1,846 fans at The Seminole Soccer Complex on Thursday night.  It was a big road win for the Tar Heels after the Tar Heels fell to Virginia 1-0 in double overtime last Sunday.

 

Carolina made its first start in its new 4-2-3-1 system and it worked wonders as the Tar Heels shutout the Seminoles for the third straight time in the series between the two teams.  Carolina finished with a 15-14 edge in shots and a 5-3 advantage in corner kicks.  Only three Seminole shots were on goal with Anna Sieloff making all three saves in the second half.  Kelsey Wys went the whole way for FSU and made three saves.  Adelaide Gay made the start for UNC and improved to 5-0 as a starter.

 

North Carolina improves to 7-2 overall and 2-1 in the ACC with the win.  Florida State fell to 8-4 overall and 1-3 in the ACC.

 

The Tar Heel goals came from Brooks in the 15^th minute, her second game-winner of the year, and a brilliant cross frame finish by Jones in the 29^th minute.

 

The Seminoles had the first serious scoring chance of the game at the 7:39 mark when Jessica Price centered a ball to Kasey Kallman who found herself alone in front of the goal at the three-yard line but her header went high of the bar.

 

Carolina took advantage of FSU’s near miss a little less than seven minutes later as Amber Brooks scored her second goal of the season at 14:36.  Brooks hit a lone line drive shot from 22 yards out on the left side that handcuffed FSU goalkeeper Kelsey Wys who got her hands on it but was unable to keep it out of the back of the goal.  Kealia Ohai and Ranee Premji had assists on the goal for the Tar Heels.

 

At the 20:58 mark, Wys made a nice save on a shot by Carolina’s Crystal Dunn to keep the Seminoles’ deficit at one goal.  But Carolina did strike again in the 29^th minute as senior forward Courtney Jones scored on a tough angle shot from 17 yards out on the right side of the box.  Amber Brooks served a long ball from across the midfield stripe to joins who craftily trapped the ball, eluded her defender and sent her shot low and across frame into the far side netting.  It was the second goal of the year for Jones.

 

The teams traded possession the rest of the half and FSU had an excellent chance at 40:21 but Kristin Grubka’s shot from in close went just right of the post.  UNC’s Elizabeth Burchenal had the last shot of the half and her blast was saved by Wys with 2:29 left in the period.

 

Both teams ended the half with seven shots and three corner kicks.

 

Neither team scratched in the second half and the Tar Heels ended with an 8-7 edge on shots in the period and took both corner kicks.  Only one second half shot by the Tar Heels was on goal as Ranee Premji’s shot was stopped by Wys at 72:26.  Meanwhile, Sieloff made her best save of the night on Tiffany McCarty’s shot in the 53^rd minute and also saved shots by Kasey Kallman in the 64^th minute and by Tori Pressley in the final seconds.

 

McCarty actually had the best scoring chance of either team in the second half when 14 seconds in she split the UNC defense at the top of the box but shot high of the frame.

 

Carolina continues its road trip Sunday when it travels to Coral Gables, Fla., to face the Miami Hurricanes at 1 p.m. at Cobb Soccer Stadium.  In their last two trips to Coral Gables the Tar Heels have fallen by 1-0 scores in 2007 and 2009.