DANBURY, Conn. - Top-seeded Western Connecticut State University advanced to the 2023 Little East Conference (LEC) Men’s Lacrosse Championship Tournament Final after defeating fourth-seeded Keene State College in Thursday’s semifinal round. The Wolves improved to 14-4 with the win, while the Owls’ season ends at 9-7.
 
Julian Duque tallied a game-high five goals to lead the Wolves attack, while Matt Sweeney accounted for three goals and two assists. Jon Russack-Baker was dominant on faceoffs, going 16-for-21, while Brendan Grove totaled seven saves to improve his record to 12-4.
 
Colby Quiet had two goals and two assists for a team-best four points to lead Keene State. Andrew Miller and Max Thurston also scored a pair of goals in the contest. Charlie Giuliotti totaled nine saves in goal as his record fell to 10-7.
 
The game was a defensive battle at first that saw the two teams held off the board until there was four minutes left in the opening frame. Duque scored the first two goals of the contes in a span of 41 seconds as WestConn went on a 4-1 that was capped by Stephen Cicchetti’s tally four minutes into the second quarter. The Owls managed to pull back within one by halftime thanks to goals from Miller and Thurston that were 1:24 apart, making it 4-3 in favor of the Wolves.
 
The two teams traded scoring burst in the third, which saw a three-goal run by the Owls that tied the game at 6-6. Nathan Sickles capped that run with 6:22 to go in the period. WestConn to control of the game from there as Trey Aronow sparked a seven goal run that was capped by Duque’s 59th goal of the season five minutes into the fourth, giving it a commanding 13-6 lead.
 
The Wolves will host second-seeded and two-time defending UMass Boston Saturday at 4 p.m., marking the second consecutive meeting in the LEC final for the two programs. The game will air live on the LEC Network - LittleEast.tv.