DANBURY, Conn. - Graduate student attacker Benjamin Hawthorne (Manorville, N.Y.) racked up three goals and four assists to lead the Western Connecticut State University men's lacrosse team to a 28-7 victory over the visiting University of Southern Maine in a Little East Conference matchup on Friday night at the Westside Athletic Complex. 

With the win, the Wolves wrapped up the regular season slate at 12-4 overall and 7-1 in league play. They earned at least the No. 2 seed and a first round bye in the upcoming LEC Championship Tournament. Their final seeding will be determined later this evening pending the result of the UMass Boston contest against Keene State. A Beacons win gives the Wolves the No. 1 spot. 

The Wolves erupted for a 10-1 first quarter lead and would not look back. Hawthorne buried his second goal of the contest to finish of the first quarter flurry. He then tacked his third goal of the night and 25th of the season to begin the second stanza. It was then junior attacker Julian Duque's (Mastic, N.Y.) turn. The leading goal scorer in program history canned four goals on the night including his team-leading 54th tally of the season. Senior middie Travis Benson (Kings Park, N.Y) and junior Peter Traina (East Moriches, N.Y.) also added hat tricks for the Wolves.

WestConn would hold an 18-2 halftime advantage and would coast the rest of the way. Sophomore midfielder James Kosty (Cranford, N.J.) and senior Sean Mitchell (South Setauket, N.Y) each netted their first goals of the season to round out the WestConn scoring assault. 

After tonight's 75 shot performance, the Wolves get a break before hosting an LEC semifinal matchup on Thursday. They will meet the winner of a quarterfinal contest scheduled for Tuesday.