Luke Melito scored twice in the final three minutes of the first period, and West Chester University held off a late Rutgers push for a 4-3 victory Friday night at Ice Line Quad Rinks. West Chester opened its ACHA Division 1 season at 1-0-0, while Rutgers fell to 1-1-0.
Aydin Thierolf put West Chester on the board with 14:11 left in the first period, finishing a feed from Dominic D’Alessandro and Joey Cardarelli. Melito then scored a power-play goal with 2:47 remaining, assisted by Connor Stratton and Dylan Ickes. He added an even-strength goal with 46 seconds left in the period, set up by Vincent Raineri and Chase Khounsacknarath, for a 3-0 lead.
Rutgers got back into it with 26 seconds left in the second period when Dale Campbell scored off assists from Patrick Haines and Jeremy Wachnachter. Thomas Apelizan made it 3-2 with 9:28 left in regulation, with helpers from Michael Chang and Nathan Case. West Chester restored its two-goal cushion with 6:33 remaining when Logan Myers converted on the power play, with assists from Kenny Duffield and Zach Crain, for what proved to be the game-winner. Nolan Collison scored for Rutgers with 56 seconds left, assisted by Brandon Strunck, but the Scarlet Knights could not find the equalizer.
West Chester outshot Rutgers 50-38. Jake Rossi earned the win with 35 saves on 38 shots, and Evan Crawford made 46 saves on 50 shots in the loss for Rutgers. Rutgers was whistled for seven of the game’s nine minor penalties, and West Chester scored twice on the power play.
West Chester will look to build on its opening win, while Rutgers aims to regroup after its first loss of the season.
