McMINNVILLE -- At the beginning of the season, McMinnville boys soccer coach Jory Shene said the Grizzlies would be breaking in a new back line from last year's Class 6A semifinals squad.
The new group is working out just fine.
McMinnville got two goals from Junior Rivas and another from Cameron Autencio, which were more than enough to triumph 3-0 over defending state champion Lincoln on Monday at Wortman Stadium.
The Grizzlies haven't allowed a goal in four matches this season, outscoring opponents 19-0. They thumped Sunset 8-0 before the win over the Cardinals, and Shene's squad is playing at a championship level on both ends of the field.
McMinnville is the only Class 6A team left that hasn't allowed a goal this season.
"The offense is supporting our defense a ton, but I think a big difference is Renee (Resendez) sitting in the middle of the field this year," Shene said. "He has been causing a lot of disruption there, and not letting much through. It has been giving the newer back line a little more ease knowing he is there."
Resendez was an anchor in last year's defending corps, and this year he is making an impact on both ends. He provided a beautiful lofted ball about 40 yards away from goal to set up Rivas' first goal -- three minutes into the match -- to give the Grizzlies an early 1-0 lead.
Rivas scored again near the end of the first half when he fired a low drive from the left side of the 18-yard box that beat the goalkeeper right. Autencio capped the scoring with a second-half goal following a savvy defensive play. He stepped in front of an errant Lincoln pass in the Cardinals' third of the field and charged toward the goal. He placed a shot low and left of the keeper that slid by for a 3-0 advantage.
The Grizzlies had their eyes on this match all summer. Lincoln, on its way to the state title, stunned the No. 2 seeded squad 2-1 in McMinnville in 2015. Needless to say, the players were thirsty for a bit of revenge.
"The big thing was we had been playing well the prior three games," Shene said. "Going into our training, I told them that they had to take this game and let it motivate them to play as best you can. We couldn't let last year dictate how we played."
McMinnville (4-0) takes its perfect mark on the road Thursday to West Linn (1-2).