SAN DIEGO, Calif. - The Michigan State soccer team got two first-half goals from Rubin Bega and Cyrus Saydee added a late goal as the 18th-ranked Spartans shutout Loyola Marymount, 3-0, on Friday (Sept. 18) night in the first game of the San Diego Nike Classic. Goalkeeper Avery Steinlage had to make just two stops to extend his NCAA record shutout streak to 1,258:08. The Spartans are now 4-0-1 while the Lions fall to 3-2.

“It was a huge win for us,” said MSU head coach Damon Rensing. “Our guys pushed the tempo early in the game and created a lot of energy, and we were able to generate some chances. Defensively, we were very, very good in the second half.”

Bega picked up his fi rst goal less than seven minutes into the fi rst half after taking a feed over the top from Jeff Ricondo to give MSU an early advantage.

Bega picked up his second goal of the game and third of the season at the 41:06 mark to boost MSU’s lead to 2-0. Domenic Barone and Jake Fullerton picked up assists on the goal that gave MSU the all important two-goal advantage just before the half.

“It was a huge boost to get another goal before half time,” said Rensing. “Th e team has a lot of confi dence in our defense. We knew that we had to match their intensity in the fi rst 10-15 of the second half and we did that, and then were able to put the game away late.”

Bega figured in the Spartans’ third and fi nal goal of the game as he hit Cyrus Saydee with a pass inside the penalty area who put it in the back of the net from seven yards out.

Th e two teams fi nished the game with fi ve shots apiece and Steinlage made one save in each half.

“I thought Avery managed the air game very well tonight and didn’t allow them much down low,” Rensing said.

The Spartans will take on the San Diego Toreros on Sunday (Sept. 20) at 5 p.m. in their second and fi nal game of the San Diego Nike Classic.