Wolves Fall to Charlotte Rush in 2nd Game of the Day at Jersey Hitmen Classic
- James Karr
- Oct 18, 2024
- 2 min read
The West Chester Wolves faced the Charlotte Rush for their third game of the Jersey Hitmen Classic and their second game of the day on Friday at Ice Vault Rink 2. The Wolves came out determined but ultimately fell short, losing 3-1 despite a hard-fought third period.
The game started with strong pressure from the Charlotte Rush. Charlotte opened the scoring late in the first period, as Jakson Furlotte found the back of the net at 14:18, assisted by Logan Walz and Lucas Husted. Charlotte extended their lead just a few minutes later, with Tristin McAuliffe scoring unassisted at 17:11 to close the first period with a 2-0 lead.
The Wolves struggled to find an answer in the second period. Charlotte's Spencer Barrow scored the only goal of the second period at 7:57, with assists from Justin Gagnon and Sam Perdion, pushing the Rush's lead to 3-0.
In the third period, West Chester pushed back and showed signs of life. Danil Nikiforov finally broke through for the Wolves at 10:49, assisted by Breydon Webster, cutting the deficit to 3-1. However, despite sustained offensive pressure, the Wolves were unable to add to their tally. Charlotte’s goaltender, Evan Crawford, stood tall, making 14 saves to secure the win for the Rush.
Danil Nikiforov scores in the third period of Game 3 at the Jersey Hitmen Classic, capping off a strong effort from the Wolves Premier against the Rush. 🐺🔥 📰 https://t.co/UZFvKNXOpHpic.twitter.com/3zaCdD6cqe
— West Chester Wolves Hockey (@WC_Wolves)
Elijah Wiltshire was strong between the pipes for the Wolves, making 32 saves in total, but the early goals by Charlotte proved to be too much to overcome. West Chester’s effort was reflected in the physicality of the game, with multiple roughing penalties occurring in the third period, including a 10-minute disqualification penalty against Elliot Weiss at 14:55.
