Corvallis, Ore. – Forward Timmy Mueller notched his second career hat trick and the Oregon State men’s soccer team remained undefeated by blanking San Jose State 3-0 on Friday night at Lorenz Field.

“We were creating chances right from the beginning of this match,” said Oregon State head coach Steve Simmons. “At halftime I told the guys to stay steady and the goals would start coming. It was exactly what we hoped for.”

A junior from Post Falls, Idaho, Mueller scored all three goals in the second half as the Beavers (2-0-1) pulled away from the Spartans (1-1-1) after a scoreless first half. He moved past teammate Jordan Jones and Josh Dodson (1994-97) into sole possession of sixth place on OSU’s career scoring list with 20 goals.

Mueller broke a scoreless tie with a spectacular goal at 52:56. He outfought two defenders for possession, headed the ball away from SJSU keeper Nedin Tucakovic at the top of the 18-yard box and then tapped home a shot from the doorstep for his first goal of the season.

He added No. 2 at the 62-minute mark, completed his hat trick with a laser shot from outside the 18-yard box at 76:47, and just missed goal No. 4 when he bounced a shot off the left post in the 83^rd minute.

“We’ve got forwards that are really goal-hungry – you just have to smell the goal one time,” Simmons said. “I’m glad Timmy got off the mark. He could easily have had four today.”

Mueller’s other hat trick came in a 6-2 rout of California at Lorenz Field on Oct. 5, 2014. It was also the fifth multi-goal performance in his 40-game career.

Goalie Nolan Wirth made one save and recorded his eighth career shutout. He moved into a tie with Olin Glenne (1993-96) for sixth place on OSU’s career shutouts list with his second straight clean sheet.

OSU dominated a scoreless first half, outshooting the Spartans 9-2 and building a 5-0 advantage in corner kicks. Junior Jordan Jones had two shots on goal.

The Beavers conclude their season-opening four-game homestand against Ohio State at noon on Monday in a game to be televised by Pac-12 Networks. OSU has never played the Buckeyes; it edged Michigan State 1-0 at Lorenz Field on Aug. 30, 2015, in its most recent game against a Big Ten Conference opponent.

For more information on the Oregon State men’s soccer team, follow the club’s official Twitter account at Twitter.com/@BeaverMSoccer.

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