The victory evens the Mules' record at 1-1, while the Nor'easters drop below the .500 mark to 2-3.
Colton Michel tallied two of his match-high five goals in the pivotal first quarter. Kevin Seiler, Cillian Connor and Sam Wasserman each finished with a pair of goals for Colby.
Sam Cloutier scored three times to lead the UNE attack. Dan Auger added a pair of goals, and Mitch Mullin contributed a game-best two assists.
Michel had a pair of second-quarter markers to give Colby a 10-2 advantage heading into halftime. Trailing 14-3 late in the third quarter, the Nor'easters would score five consecutive goals to cut into the Mules' cushion and make the score 14-8 with 7:23 remaining in the contest before Colby scored three of the final four goals.
Max Eberhart won 13 of 17 face-offs to help get the Colby attack going. Dylan Rothenburg played the first three quarters in goal, totaling seven saves to earn the win.
Dan Auger collected a match-high five ground balls for UNE. Goalkeepers John Dusel (9 saves) and David Pearson (3 saves) split time in goal.
The Nor'easters will look to halt a two-game losing skid Saturday when they head to Cambridge, Mass. to face Massachusetts Institute of Technology (1 p.m.).