Wolves Premier Fall to Chiefs in Tight Contest at Ice Land Skating Center
- James Karr
- Dec 22, 2024
- 2 min read
The West Chester Wolves faced off against the Mercer Chiefs on Saturday night in a hard-fought Premier Division matchup at the Ice Land Skating Center. Despite a valiant effort, the Wolves came up short, falling 2-1 in a game defined by disciplined defensive play and special teams battles.
The first period was a scoreless affair, with both teams generating chances but unable to find the back of the net. Wolves goaltender Anthony Golden was sharp early, turning aside all eight shots he faced in the opening frame.
Mercer broke the deadlock just 16 seconds into the second period, as Nathaniel Mongeau finished a play set up by teammates Francis Rose and Thomas Laffaye to put the Chiefs ahead 1-0. The Wolves responded with resilience, capitalizing on their third power play opportunity at the 5:08 mark. Forward Titus Keyes found the equalizer, assisted by Nathan Lavallee, tying the game at 1-1.
🔥 Titus Keyes fired home a power-play goal for the Wolves Premier tonight at Ice Land Skating Center! AJ Golden stood tall between the pipes, turning away 23 shots. 📰 https://t.co/IWhjV93NMV #️⃣ #JuniorHockey#USPHLPremier#WestChester#WestChesterHockey#WestChesterWolvespic.twitter.com/vyvWfTTdcR
— West Chester Wolves Hockey (@WC_Wolves)
The third period saw the Chiefs regain the lead when Rose netted his second point of the night with a goal at 2:41, assisted by Peter Kovac and Michael Bonino. The Wolves battled hard, including calling a timeout in the final minute to strategize for a last push, but Mercer’s defense held firm.
Golden stood tall between the pipes for West Chester, making 23 saves in a full 60 minutes of action. Mercer’s goaltender Daxton Lucidi was equally impressive, stopping 19 of the Wolves’ shots to secure the victory.
The Wolves' power play struck once on five opportunities, while their penalty kill remained perfect, shutting down both of Mercer’s chances with the man advantage. However, the Wolves' inability to convert additional scoring opportunities proved to be the difference in the tightly contested game.
