NAMPA, Idaho – The gameplan couldn't have gone much better for the Crusaders: start strong, score early, play tough defense and win.

The Northwest Nazarene men's soccer team did all of the above Saturday afternoon, stretching its win streak to three straight with a 3-0 win over the South Dakota School of Mines & Technology in Great Northwest Athletic Conference action.

"I think a big emphasis today was to start well and I thought we did that," said NNU coach Coe Michaelson, whose team needed a late first-half spark to get going in Thursday's victory over the winless University of Mary.

Against the winless Hardrockers on Saturday, it only took 14 minutes, 52 seconds before Fredy Razo found the back of the net for the Crusaders (3-3-3 overall, 3-2-1 GNAC), scoring his eighth goal of the season for an early 1-0 edge.

"He's an excellent goal scorer and he took that one really well," Michaelson said of Razo, who now has scored in seven straight games. "That was actually one of his better goals he's scored for us."

Razo took a ball flicked forward by Jaime Torres and blasted a shot from 15 yards out past Hardrockers goalkeeper Timothy Tribbett.

Emmett Demirelli also had an assist on the goal.

That sparked NNU's offense, which kept pushing for more, and led to a foul on Cedric Dinane in the goal box, 7:55 later.

Awarded a penalty kick, Dinane pushed the Crusaders lead to a comfortable 2-0, booting the ball into the left side of the net.

The Crusaders made sure the lead was comfortable with stingy defense that allowed just two shots on goal all game, and Ryan Foo made both saves, earning his second shutout in a row.

"We spent a lot of time early season -- because we have so many new players -- on team tactics and defensive stuff, and hopefully this is a sign now it's starting to become more automatic," Michaelson said.

The Crusaders added one more goal with 14:27 left to play, icing the victory when Dylan Coffee got to the ball after a corner kick that the Hardrockers (0-9-0, 0-6-0) failed to clear and blasted a shot past Tribbett for the final 3-0 score.

Tribbett finished with six saves in the loss for South Dakota School of Mines & Technology.

Now the Crusaders take their three-game win streak on the road, looking for more, as they play at Montana State Billings next Saturday at 1 p.m.