St. Charles Grinds Out CBJ Cup Win Behind Grit, Early Goals, and a 6 a.m. Work Ethic
If you’re looking for the heartbeat of high school hockey in Central Ohio, you’ll find it inside the OhioHealth Ice Haus at 6 a.m., where the St. Charles Cardinals are already on the ice, grinding.
Head coach Danny Greiner set the tone from the jump this season: be the hardest-working team in the state. That’s not just a motivational poster on the locker room wall - it’s a lifestyle.
“We have 6 a.m. practices. This Tuesday, we’re back at it,” said senior goalie Dylan Fansler.
“We’re always pushing. Whether it’s a 5-4 nail-biter or a 3-0 lead, we’re working like it’s tied.”
That relentless effort paid off in a big way Sunday afternoon, as St. Charles outlasted defending state champion Upper Arlington in a back-and-forth 5-4 win to claim the CHC Red Division title at the Blue Jackets Cup presented by OhioHealth. It’s the Cardinals’ first CBJ Cup win since 2014 - and just the second in program history.
For a team that went 15-1 in Capital Hockey Conference regular-season play, outscoring opponents 55-19, this was more than just a trophy. It was a statement.
“It’s one of our four goals this year,” Fansler said. “We’ve got two down.
Now we want the regional. We want the state.
We’re not done.”
A Fast Start, a Fierce Finish
St. Charles wasted no time setting the tone.
Less than five minutes in, Jack Jensen opened the scoring off a slick feed from Will Howard after a neutral zone turnover. Just over two minutes later, Patrick Megahan doubled the lead, pouncing on a loose puck in the right circle and burying it.
“Getting that early cushion was huge,” Greiner said. “It lets us breathe a bit, be aggressive, and not feel like every shift is do-or-die. That kind of start gives us the confidence to play our game.”
But Upper Arlington, as you'd expect from a defending state champ, didn’t go quietly. Ben Spence got the Golden Bears on the board early in the second period with a power-play goal, and from there, the two teams traded blows like seasoned rivals.
Howard answered with a power-play goal of his own from the point, but Spence responded just 26 seconds later, finishing a breakaway set up by captain Henry Thackeray. Still, St. Charles had the final word of the period - another power-play tally, this time Howard tapping in a cross-crease dish from Harry Hadden with under a minute to go.
Power Plays and Playoff Poise
Special teams were the difference-maker. The Cardinals went 3-for-3 on the power play, with Jensen adding a crucial third man-advantage goal early in the third to make it 5-2. His shot through a screen looked like it might seal it.
But Upper Arlington didn’t flinch. Tate Rook sparked a late rally, scoring twice in the final 8:31 - the second coming on the power play with just under four minutes left. Suddenly, the Cardinals’ lead was down to one, and the Ice Haus was buzzing.
That’s when Fansler and the defense dug in. The senior netminder made several key stops, including a critical sequence on a UA power play that bridged the second and third periods.
And when Upper Arlington took a costly too-many-men penalty in the final minutes, St. Charles was able to close the door.
At the final horn, the Cardinals poured off the bench and mobbed Fansler in the crease. Moments later, they were singing the school’s alma mater with the CBJ Cup in hand, celebrating with their student section.
Veteran Core, Championship Mindset
This St. Charles team is built on experience and leadership.
Fansler, the alternate captain, has been a rock in net all season. Captain Tommy Scharfenberger anchors a veteran blue line that’s been the foundation of the team’s success.
But Sunday’s win was just as much about offensive execution as defensive grit.
Jensen and Howard each scored twice, and Megahan chipped in a goal of his own. The power play was sharp, the forecheck was aggressive, and when the game tightened up late, the Cardinals didn’t blink.
“It’s playoff hockey,” Greiner said. “Every time we’ve played Upper Arlington this year, it’s been a one-goal game. These are the battles we need as we head into the state tournament.”
Eyes on the Bigger Prize
The CBJ Cup is a big deal - especially for a program that hadn’t hoisted it in over a decade. But for this group, it’s just one step on a longer journey.
“It’s great that we made history this year,” Howard said. “There couldn’t be a better group to do this with.
But we’re not done. This is only one of our goals.
We gotta keep going.”
With the OHSAA state tournament on the horizon - and wins already under their belt against Cincinnati Moeller and Dublin Jerome - St. Charles is peaking at the right time. The CBJ Cup win showed they can take a punch and still land the final blow.
And if their 6 a.m. work ethic is any indication, they’re not planning to slow down anytime soon.
*Elsewhere in the Blue Jackets Cup, Dublin Coffman took home the CHC White Division title with a 3-1 win over Thomas Worthington. The action continues next week with the CHC junior varsity and Ohio Scholastic Hockey League varsity championships.
The OHSAA state tournament begins later in February, with the finals set for March 14-15 at Nationwide Arena. *