PORTLAND, Ore. – The Oregon State men’s soccer team improved to 3-0 for the second year in a row on Friday with a 1-0 victory over Vermont at the Nike Portland Invitational at Merlo Field.

Jordan Jones scored the only goal of the game. It was his first goal of the season and gave the Beavers (3-0-0) the win in the first-ever meeting between OSU and the Catamounts (1-2-0), who are coached by Jesse Cormier, an OSU assistant from 2001-03 under former head coach Dana Taylor.

It’s the second year in a row, and the third time in the Steve Simmons coaching era, that the Beavers (3-0-0) have opened the season with three consecutive victories.

The Beavers are ranked No. 15 by the Bennett Rankings, conducted by HeroSports.com; No. 19 by College Soccer News; No. 21 by the National Soccer Coaches Association of America (NSCAA), and No. 24 by the Soccer America.

OSU begins at two-game East Coast road trip at Duquense at 5 p.m. Friday in Pittsburgh. It then heads to Ithaca, N.Y., for a Sunday match against Cornell, starting at 8 a.m.