Wolves Premier Sweep Junior Rangers with Gritty 3-1 Victory
- James Karr
- Oct 26, 2024
- 1 min read
The West Chester Wolves Premier team completed a series sweep over the Connecticut Junior Rangers on Saturday afternoon at Chelsea Piers.
The Wolves struck early in the first period when Will McLaughlin, assisted by captain Andrew Farley and Jacob Emmanuel, found the back of the net at just 2:24. However, Connecticut quickly countered as James Hope scored at 7:10 with assists from Jordan Murray and Brett Ranta, leveling the score 1-1.
Midway through the second period, the Wolves capitalized on a power-play opportunity. Max McKay buried the puck with assists from Danil Nikiforov and Breydon Webster at 15:05, putting the Wolves up 2-1. The Junior Rangers struggled to respond, even as both teams found themselves in the penalty box with several minor and misconduct penalties throughout the period.
The Wolves held strong in the third period, fending off a determined Rangers team. With Connecticut pressing for an equalizer and pulling their goalie, McKay sealed the victory with an empty-net goal at 19:59, thanks to setup passes from Titus Keyes and Dante Santangelo.
Goaltender Elijah Wiltshire was a key factor in the Wolves' victory, recording 51 saves and fending off a relentless Junior Rangers offense, especially during crucial penalty kills. The Wolves' penalty-killing unit stood tall, holding the Rangers scoreless on all three of their power-play opportunities, while the Wolves went 1-for-5 with the man advantage.
