Chicago Fury Defeat Ohio Jr Blue Jackets in Overtime U16 Thriller
BLAINE, MN – The Chicago Fury pulled off a dramatic 4-3 overtime victory against the Ohio Jr Blue Jackets in a tightly contested 16U Championship Pool B showdown on February 14 at NSC Rink 3. After a back-and-forth battle in regulation, the Fury sealed the win in sudden death overtime.
First Period – Teams Trade Early Blows
The Blue Jackets struck first at 12:37 (4:23 elapsed time) when Mikhail Mishin (#88) found the net off assists from Eli Halla (#12) and Dmitrii Nazarov (#24), putting Ohio ahead 1-0.
Chicago responded quickly, tying the game at 9:43 (7:17 elapsed time) when Nico Fraustoa (#13) capitalized on a setup from Anthony Bergeron (#37). Both teams continued pressing, but the period ended locked at 1-1.
Second Period – Ohio Retakes the Lead
The Blue Jackets reclaimed the advantage late in the second period, as Luke Zimpfer (#10) converted off a pass from Hayden Saada (#20) at 00:39 (16:21 elapsed time), giving Ohio a 2-1 lead heading into the final frame.
Third Period – Chicago Rallies to Force Overtime
The Fury came out strong in the third, tying the game at 15:33 (1:27 elapsed time) when Nathan Rybicki (#16) fired one past the Ohio netminder, assisted by Ryan Cartera (#9).
Ohio answered back midway through the period, reclaiming the lead at 8:30 (8:30 elapsed time) when Andrei Gudina (#98) buried a setup from Nazarov (#24) and Zimpfer (#10), making it 3-2.
With time winding down, Chicago pressed hard and found the equalizer at 1:16 (15:44 elapsed time) when Alex Sergel (#64) delivered a clutch goal, assisted by Bergeron (#37), forcing overtime.
Overtime – Fury Seals the Win
The extra period was short-lived, as Ethan Miller (#2) netted the game-winner at 3:38, with an assist from Rybicki (#16), lifting Chicago to a thrilling 4-3 victory.
Key Takeaways
Chicago showed resilience, battling back twice to force overtime before securing the win. Sergel’s late equalizer and Miller’s clutch OT goal proved the difference, while goaltender Nolan Dabrowski (#20) made key saves to keep the Fury in the game. Ohio played a strong game, with Mishin, Zimpfer, and Gudina leading the offensive charge, but they couldn’t hold off Chicago’s relentless attack.
With this win, Chicago picks up a critical Pool B victory, while Ohio will need to regroup ahead of their next matchup.
