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The defense has been there all year long for the Maple Grove Red Dragons as they recorded their eighth shutout of the season, but it was the emergence of sophomore Jason Pembridge that had fans talking after the 3-0 non-league win over Frewsburg under the lights Wednesday night.

Pembridge scored two goals and assisted on the third to lead the Red Dragons to a victory in their final game of the regular season.

''Jason is playing really well right now,'' Maple Grove coach Cindy Saxton said. ''He's really coming into his own this year.''

Maple Grove's first goal of the game came with 8:26 left in the first half. Pembridge carried the ball into the box and faked a shot on goal to get by the first line of defense. Then he set up teammate Jake Prindle-Cassidy, who buried the open shot.

Pembridge would be soon be rewarded for his unselfish play.

At the 6:01 mark of the half, Pembridge scored a goal of his own from Tony Galbier and it was quickly a 2-0 game going into the half, despite some opportunities early on for the Bears. Their best chance to score came on a Matt Coe breakaway, but goalie Andrew Dies made a nice save to prevent the score.

''This was a good, competitive game for us to play,'' Frewsburg coach Jim Hale said. ''We had some chances. It could have been 3-1, 3-2, tied or whatever, but we still feel we can beat anybody in the (Class) C's. We're looking forward to the playoffs.''

Maple Grove's third and final goal of the game was set up by nice passing in the middle of the field. Connor Meekins passed downfield to Jordan Goold, who made the extra pass into some space for Pembridge. The sophomore buried the shot around the far post for his 15th goal of the season.

''That's what we work on in practice,'' Saxton said of passing. ''I always say three touches and the ball better be gone. We're always working on passing drills.''

See SOCCER, Page B-2

From Page B-1

Offensively, passing downfield seemed to be the theme of the night for the Dragons. Saxton made an adjustment midway through the first half by putting in four midfielders instead of three, which is what she started with. From that point on, the Bears were hard-pressed to make many threats offensively.

Midfielders Kyle Stawitsky, Aaron Saxton and Blake Boje played key roles in maintaining possessions and keeping up the pressure for Maple Grove.

As for the defense, the Dragons slipped into a simple zone rather than trying to overthink how to slow down Coe, Caleb Leichner and Gage Bird.

''We don't really try to focus on one guy,'' Saxton said. ''We just like to stay in our zone. On defense, they're all strong players.''

Even though Saxton uses her bench and rotates players around the field, the three starting defenders, Galbier, Steven Goebel and first-year starter Mikel Leasure have made a world of difference in preventing goals throughout the season.

''Tony's got the speed to outrun anyone in our league,'' Saxton said of her lone senior. ''Goebel's a third-year starter as a junior and Leasure has really improved as the year has gone and has started in every game.''

Against the Bears, the defense helped goalie Andrew Dies earn a shutout. He only needed to make one save.

Hale tried to generate some offense for his team by sliding the midfielder Bird, Frewsburg's assist leader with nine, to the forward position alongside leading scorer Coe. They've hooked up on several occasions during the season, but just couldn't break through against Maple Grove.

As a team, the Red Dragons were just a little bit sharper Wednesday night.

''I think they have more depth than we do,''Hale said. ''That hurts. I'm surprised they play as well as they do considering the 5-0, 6-0 and 8-1 games they've been in this year. They beat us and they're a good team. They beat us with good, soccer goals.''

Pembridge was the catalyst on all three goals and there was nothing cheap about any of them. It seems fitting the sophomore switched his jersey number from 16 to 18 this season. After all, his older brother Chris wore No. 18 and scored 56 goals during his career with it until he graduated in 2008.

The younger Pembridge Jason is starting to play more and more like his older brother every day and his teammates and head coach are more than pleased to see it.