Spirit Fall in OT to Firebirds, 6-5 on Saturday
Saginaw, Mich. – The Saginaw Spirit opened their 2025–2026 season at home against the Flint Firebirds, battling through an intense game that ended in a 6-5 overtime loss. Despite an early strong performance, including Brody Pepoy’s first OHL goal and a clutch equalizer from Dima Zhilkin to force overtime, the Firebirds ultimately triumphed with just 13 seconds left in the extra period. 
Saginaw wasted no time in the first period when Egor Barabanov scored 57 seconds in, completing a two-on-one break after a slick pass from Dima Zhilkin. Zhilkin picked up his fourth point of the season with the assist (2G-2A), and James Guo also recorded an assist.
The Spirit quickly extended their lead, scoring again 39 seconds later as Ryan Hanrahan set up Brody Pepoy for his first OHL goal. At 5:12, Liam Storch fired a shot past Flint’s goalie Mason Vaccari for a 3-0 lead.
Flint responded on the power play when Matthew Wang scored after finding a loose puck in the slot, cutting the Spirit’s lead to 3-1. The Firebirds continued to pressure, and with just seven seconds left in the first, Jeremy Martin tipped in a pass from Luka Graziano to make it 4-3 Saginaw at the end of a wild opening period.
In the second period, Kaleb Papineau took over in goal for Saginaw after Stepan Shurygin made 10 saves on 13 shots. Jeremy Martin tied the game 6:06 into the second when a centering pass bounced in his favor, making it 4-4. The Firebirds dominated the power play again in the third, as Martin completed his hat trick with a tip-in at 9:29 to give Flint a 5-4 lead.
At 12:09, Dima Zhilkin responded, tipping in Graydon Jones’ shot from the left circle to tie the game 5-5, earning his fifth point of the season. The teams stayed knotted at 5-5 after regulation, sending the game to overtime.
In the extra frame, the Firebirds capitalized on a 2-on-1 break, with Chase Hull scoring the game-winning goal with just 13 seconds remaining, handing Saginaw a tough overtime loss.
As the buzzer sounded, signaling the Spirit’s loss, head coach Chris Lazary showed an emotional outburst from behind the bench. Rising to his feet, his face flushed with intensity, Lazary slammed his fist on the bench in frustration. He paced back and forth, urging his players to remain focused and determined despite the tough defeat.
In the postgame, Lazary’s passion continued as he addressed his team. His voice cracked with emotion as he praised their resilience and refusal to back down, challenging them to regroup and be even more aggressive next time. His fiery reaction wasn’t just about frustration; it reflected his championship aspirations, urging his players to learn from the loss and keep pushing for greatness.
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