BANGOR – The Husson University men’s soccer team hasn’t had much success against Colby College.

In fact, the Eagle seniors had gone 0-2-1 including a 5-1 setback in their freshman year.

But the Eagles used an early first-half goal by senior striker Jeff Truchon and eight saves by sophomore goalie Miguel Dominguez to beat the Mules 1-0 at Boucher Field Tuesday afternoon.

Husson is now 2-4 while Colby of Waterville fell to 2-1.

“This is the biggest win we’ve had since I’ve been here,” said senior midfielder Josh Bartlett. “We played real well today. Our backs [Tim Mousette, Billy Shannon, Josh Labonte and Justin Gauvin] were unreal.”

Truchon’s second goal of the season was a diving header off a Mark Trombley cross from the left flank 14 minutes into the game.

Bartlett set the sequence in motion with a pass to Trombley, who took the ball to the end line before sending a cross to the far post.

“Mark made a great run right to the sideline. I cut in and then I ended up cutting behind and the defender lost me,” explained Greene’s Truchon. “He let off so I was able to sneak right in behind and get a head on it. It was a great ball from Mark. I couldn’t have done it if he didn’t send that one in. I was in the right place at the right time.”

Truchon’s header beat Colby goalie Dan Marden to the near post.

“I didn’t read it right, I guess,” said Marden. “I didn’t see the guy at the back post and he snuck it in. I got over too late.”

“It was a good goal and we couldn’t get it back,” said Colby coach Mark Serdjenian. “It took us time to adjust to the [FieldTurf] and Husson defended well.”

Marden kept it a one-goal deficit five minutes later when he raced out to smother a clean break-in by Trombley off a Rob Cowart through-ball.

Then, with 21 minutes left in the half, Dominguez made his best save of the game off Colby freshman Peter Randall.

A nifty back-heel by Scott Brown enabled Randall to burst through the defense but Dominguez held his ground and got both hands on Randall’s rising shot to deflect it away.

“I just tried to stay big the whole time. I didn’t dive when he faked [the shot]. I stayed big and kept my eyes on the ball. He had a touch on it and then shot it,” said Dominguez, who finished with eight saves on 14 shots.

He also scrambled out to gather in several through balls before Mule strikers could get to them. And he picked off a number of menacing crosses.

Trombley almost extended the lead with three minutes left in the half when the ball landed to him in the penalty area and he ripped a shot off the near side post.

“Everybody was heading the ball back and forth. I waited and waited and it popped down to me. I didn’t get lucky,” said Trombley.

Marden made a nice diving save off Bartlett early in the second half and came up with a good near-post stop off Tyler Metivier moments later.

Marden finished with five saves on 17 shots in an impressive performance.

Husson did an extremely effective job protecting the lead, getting numbers on the defensive side of the ball and limiting Colby’s time on the ball with aggressive challenges. They also won a lot of 50-50 balls and created some good chances themselves.

“The defense made things simple for me today and the midfielders were dropping back the whole time,” said Dominguez.

James Westhafer shone for the Mules in the back.

lmahoney@bangordailynews.net

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