GORHAM, Maine --  Sophomore forward Xavier Doran (Hebron) recorded his second hat trick in the last six games to power the Eastern Connecticut State University men's soccer team to a 4-0 victory over the University of Southern Maine as the Warriors took over sole possession of first place in the Little East Conference Saturday afternoon.

Rhode Island College edged host Plymouth State University, 1-0, Saturday to give Eastern (12-2-1, 4-0-1 LEC) sole possession of the top spot in the conference. By winning, defending champion University of Massachusetts Boston and Rhode Island College both remained a point behind the Warriors, with Plymouth State now fourth with ten points. The top four teams in the final standings qualify for the LEC playoffs, which get underway Nov. 4 with semifinal games.

After Doran converted a penalty kick just 3:40 into play to give the Warriors the early lead, junior midfielder Alejandro Tobon (West Hartford) and Doran scored just over two minutes apart midway though the period to propel Eastern to a 3-0 halftime lead to the way to its eighth straight win over Southern Maine (1-10-1, 0-5-0 LEC). Tobon headed in  freshman Justin Jensen's (Wethersfield) cross and Doran knocked in a cross from  sophomore midfielder JD Stearns (Bolton). Doran collected his team-leading ninth goal of the year midway through the second half when Jensen played the ball across the goal mouth.

Freshmen Ryan Murphy (Cromwell) and Brendan West (Plainville) combined in goal on the team's eighth shutout of the season. Each made two saves.

Ranked sixth in New England, Eastern outshot the Huskies, 17-8. USM freshman keeper Simon Hulbert stopped five shots.

After scoring a goal in the season-opener Sept. 1 against Babson College, Doran was held without a goal for the next seven games. He now has eight goals in the last six matches, including his first hat trick Sept. 26 against visiting Western Connecticut. His nine goals give him a share of third place in the conference in that category and his 25 points rank him second.

Eastern continues its quest for a fourth LEC regular-season championship in five years when it hosts Rhode Island College Saturday at 1 p.m. The Warriors close out the LEC regular season Oct. 31 at the University of Massachusetts Dartmouth.