West Chester, PA — The West Chester Wolves Premier team secured a hard-fought 3-1 victory over the Wilkes-Barre Scranton Knights on Saturday night at PNY Sports Arena.
The Wolves opened the scoring on a first-period power play, with Danil Nikiforov burying a slick pass from Nathan Lavallee at 10:59. The game remained a defensive battle through the second period, where the Knights tied it at 1-1 early on a goal from Artur Ovsepyan, assisted by Brendan Devenney and Artem Zharikov.
Wolves Premier WIN!!! 🔥 Nikiforov nets 2, McLaughlin adds 1, and Wiltshire shines with 36 saves!
— West Chester Wolves Hockey (@WC_Wolves) January 26, 2025
📰 https://t.co/RCFWSFPLtq pic.twitter.com/EXxqBy52aT
The Wolves broke the deadlock in the third period when Will McLaughlin finished a crisp feed from Titus Keyes at 1:30. With time winding down, Nikiforov added his second of the night, an empty-net goal set up by Max McKay and Elliot Weiss, sealing the Wolves’ victory at 18:29.
Goaltender Elijah Wiltshire was outstanding for West Chester, stopping 36 of 37 shots and holding off a late push by the Knights. The Wolves' power-play unit also came through, converting 1 of 4 opportunities, while their penalty kill shut down all three of the Knights’ chances.