BUZZARDS BAY, Mass. - Graduate Liam Ford (New Fairfield, Conn.) scored six times to lead the visiting Western Connecticut State University Wolves to a 16-10 victory over the Massachusetts Maritime Academiy Buccaneers in Little East Conference (LEC) men's lacrosse action this afternoon at Clean Harbors Stadium.  WestConn improves to 8-6 overall and 5-0 in the LEC with its fifth win in a row.  Massachusetts Maritime falls to 7-4 overall and 3-2 in the league.  The Wolves will visit conference rival Eastern Connecticut next on Wednesday at 4 p.m.

The teams traded goals thorough the first 21 minutes of play before a 3-0 WestConn run in the middle of the second quarter gave the visitors a 9-6 lead.  Wolves senior Matt Sweeney (Rocky Point, N.Y.) scored from Tyler Starrett (Redding, Conn.) to make it, 7-6, at the 8:31 mark of the second followed by goals from junior midfielder Tristan McMahon (Farmingville, N.Y.) and Ford.  The back-and-forth play resumed over a 20-minute stretch to lasted to the end of the third frame with WestConn leading, 12-9.  Starrett scored two minutes into the fourth quarter and Sweeney scored twice in a row to build the Wolves lead to 15-9 with 6:23 on the clock.

WestConn doubled up the Buccaneers, 54-27, shooting the ball, forced 24 turnovers while committing 17, and held a 34-to-27 edge on ground balls.  The teams combined to go scoreless on seven extra-man chances.  Sweeney matched Ford with six points, scoring three goals and assisting on three more, while Starrett finished with three goals and one assist.  James Sullivan and Quinn Mucha each had three goals and an assist for Massachusetts Maritime.  WestConn's Jonathan Russack-Baker (Groton, Conn.) won 19 of 27 faceoffs and scooped a game-high 12 ground balls and senior Nate Caldwell (Cranford, N.J.) had four ground balls and a caused turnover.  In goal, WestConn rookie Jake Kelly (Bethpage, N.Y.) made eight saves and Eddie Keller had 14 saves for the Buccaneers.