Eights are Enough for Fire, Sabres

The Keane Fire and the Lite-Sabres opened up the 2001A AdcFhl season at the Needham Center Tuesday, battling to an 8-8 draw. The Lite-Sabres (8-2 in 2000B) began the game with the minimum of five players. Several key personnel had been caught off guard by the early game in the schedule. Despite having no substitutions, the Sabres played well early, jumping out to a commanding 5-1 first intermission lead.

The Fire (4-6 in 2000B), flooring two full lines, began to wear down the Sabres in the second period, outscoring the Sabres 4-2 and leaving the Sabres visibly winded. After the game, Fire captain Steve Barriault revealed his strategy. "I told the boys 'Make 'em run 'til they puke'", explained Barriault, "they didn't puke, but they were close."

The Sabres did get some relief late in the second period when second-year Sabre Chad Griffin arrived with a fresh set of legs. Yet it wasn't enough to turn the tide, as the Fire maintained their pressure in the third period. The Fire, on a late goal by Kevin Haddad, managed to knot the game at eight. A couple of blown opportunities by the Sabres in the dying minutes ensured the match would end in a dead heat.

Leading the Sabres in scoring was one-time Fire member Chad Barron, who scored five goals in his Sabre debut. Barron, equaling his previous one-game goal scoring record, assumed the league's scoring lead outright, but most likely only until Thursday, when league play resumes. For Barron, Tuesday night's game was a continuation of an on-going personal was with close friend Haddad. After the game, both combatants displayed their battle wounds of a hard fought game. Haddad sported a mark on his face courtesy of an errant Barron stick, while Barron displayed the more traditional bruised shins compliments of Haddad and other Fire teammates.