BANGOR – The Colby College men’s soccer team handled the Husson College Eagles pretty easily last year, 5-2, in Waterville.

But this season the Eagles received 11 saves from junior goalie Jon Couie of Madawaska and senior midfielder Oscar Ody scored the equalizer on a breakaway in the first half as the two teams battled to a 1-1 overtime tie Wednesday.

Husson is now 2-1-1 and Colby is 0-0-2.

The Mules controlled the play and finished with 38 shots at goal to Husson’s 10.

But the determined Eagles, led by Tim Mousette, Jeff Truchon and Pat St. Hilaire, defended effectively around their penalty area and won a lot of balls in the air to limit the number of high-percentage chances.

“Our defense held strong. We pressured when we had to,” said Mousette.

Freshman Duy Lyford opened the scoring for Colby just 5:41 into the game as he converted his own rebound after Couie had robbed him by extending himself to get his hands on Lyford’s original shot.

Luis Mendoza’s pass set up Lyford’s first glittering chance in the penalty area.

But Ody tied it up 16:25 later when Nattapong Kongsuriya’s precise through ball sent him in alone and he converted with the instep of his left foot after dribbling around Colby goalie Josh Kahane.

Colby was trying to set an offsides trap but Ody timed his run perfectly.

“It was a great pass,” said Ody. “I pulled the ball to the side [around the goalie]. One of their fullbacks almost got it but I’m glad it went in.”

Kahane said, “[Ody] took a tough angle and was able to convert so congrats for him.”

Ody’s goal came just moments after Couie made a terrific save off a powerful near post header by Chris MacFadyen off a perfectly placed cross from the always dangerous Todd Boertzel.

“For us, this was like a victory,” said Brazilian Ody, a former teammate of Lyford’s at Erskine Academy in South China. “I’m so happy. We worked hard and got a good tie.”

Couie credited his fullbacks for “really helping me out back there. They played very well.

“We feel as good as a tie can feel,” added Couie, who made several superb stops.

The Mules were frustrated with the tie.

“We outplayed them and deserved to win,” said Kahane, who finished with one save. “But the ball didn’t bounce our way.”

Colby’s James Westhafer hit the crossbar with a well-struck 28-yard blast in the second half.

Colby dominated the overtime but the Eagles held them off.

Husson did mount some menacing counterattacks throughout the game with Kongsuriya, Ody, Hiroki Ueda and Hiroshi Iwabuchi being the catalysts.