GORHAM, Maine – The visiting Colby College men's soccer team spotted the University of Southern Maine a 1-0 lead before scoring seven unanswered goals to earn a 7-1 non-conference victory Wednesday afternoon at Hannaford Field.

            With their second straight win, the Mules got back to .500 for the season with a 2-2-2 overall record.  The Mules have scored seven goals in each of their last two matches after being held scoreless in their first four matches (0-2-2).  The Huskies dropped their sixth straight match to fall to 1-8-0 overall.

            The Huskies took a 1-0 lead in the 15th minute of play as freshman Luke Pugsley (Kennebunk, Maine/Milton [Mass.]) took the ball to the end line before crossing a pass to sophomore Mazen Aljari (Jeddah, Saudi Arabia). Aljari turned to his left and stroked a 10-yard shot past Colby sophomore goalkeeper Cody Funkhouser (Hopewell, N.J./Hopewell Valley) and inside the far post for his second goal of the season.

            Colby got the equalizer in the 29th minute off a set piece.  Senior Andrew Meisel (Newtown, Conn.) lofted a cross to the back post where junior Jonathan Sommer (Gauting, Germany) deposited it into the net with a header.

            Sophomore Matt Ayers (Lewisburg, Penn.) gave the Mules the lead for good in the final minute of the first half as he outmuscled a USM defender to run onto a pass from classmate Keith Chernin (Brookline, Mass.) and beat USM senior goalkeeper Jeremy Turner (Portland, Maine/Deering) with a 12-yard shot.

            Two goals in a 40-seconds span midway into the second half broke the game open in favor of the Mules.  Junior Chris Pratt (Wellesley, Mass./Noble & Greenough) headed home sophomore Andrew Woonton's (Boxford, Mass./Philips Andover) cross to make it 3-1.  Chernin made it 4-1 converting from junior Grey Benjamin (Medway, Mass.).

            Sophomore Charlie Dupee (Portland, Maine/Deering), freshman Gray Louis (Wellesley, Mass.) and senior Nick Aubin (Simsbury, Conn.) added goals over the final 20 minutes for Colby.

            Colby held the edge in play to roll up a 15-5 advantage in shots and a 7-1 margin in corner kicks.  Funkhouser had one save in 71 minutes before giving way to rookie Oliver Fornell (Locust Valley, N.Y./St. George's).  Fornell had one save over the final 19 minutes.

            Turner recorded one save in 75:32.  Freshman Korey Mulherin (Leeds, Maine/Leavitt) did not post a save over the final 14:28.

            Southern Maine will host a Little East Conference foe, the University of Massachusetts Boston, on Saturday (12:00 p.m.).  Colby will be at home against Trinity College on Saturday (1:30 p.m.).