McCandless Moves On - Wolves Defenseman Commits to Wilkes University

The West Chester Wolves have announced that defenseman Drew McCandless has committed to Wilkes University to continue his academic and hockey career.

A native of Victor, NY, McCandless spent time with both the Wolves NCDC and USPHL Premier teams during his tenure with the organization. The 6’3”, 201 lb defenseman provided a steady presence on the blue line and contributed in a variety of roles.

During the 2024-25 season, McCandless appeared in games at both the NCDC and Premier levels, recording five points in nine Premier games while continuing to develop defensively in the NCDC. He followed that with a full NCDC season in 2025-26, appearing in 45 games.

Head Coach and General Manager R.C. Lyke spoke on McCandless’ development.

“Drew worked hard during his time here and continued to improve his all around game. Drew led our team in hits this season and was a staple on our PK unit. Drew won our NCDC team award for the “Hardest Hitter “ which was voted on by his teammates this season. We’re happy to see him earn this opportunity and look forward to watching him grow both on and off the ice for Wilkes over the next 4 years,” said Lyke.

Associate Head Coach Tyler Casillo also commented on his time with the program.

“Drew was a reliable defenseman for us and brought a consistent physical presence to the lineup. Drew worked hard over the last 2 years and I am happy to see him take the next step at the NCAA college level.” said Casillo.

McCandless becomes the latest Wolves player to advance to the collegiate level following time in the program.