The Huntsville Fire was an American professional indoor soccer team based in Huntsville, Alabama . The Fire played in the Eastern Indoor Soccer League during both of the league's seasons from 1997 to 1998. They played their home games in the Von Braun Center . The team began the 1997 season as the Florida -based Daytona Beach Speedkings before financial struggles forced a sale early in the season.
21-480: During their existence, the Fire/Speedkings played a combined total of 52 games, winning 29, two via shootout, and losing 23, two via shootout. They scored a total of 810 points and allowed a total of 702 points and notched 87 total standings points out of a possible 156 points. The EISL awarded 3 standings points for a win, 2 for a shootout win, 1 for a shootout loss, and 0 for a loss in regulation. The team,
42-803: A charter member of the Eastern Indoor Soccer League , was founded as the Daytona Beach Speedkings . They played their home games at the Ocean Center in Daytona Beach, Florida , under the direction of coach Scott Cooper . The team played the first-ever game in EISL history, losing to the Savannah Rug Ratz in front of a "disappointing" crowd of 600 fans. Despite having a winning record (5–3) and
63-400: A record of 13 wins and 11 losses, including 1 shootout win. This gave the team a total of 38 points for the 1997 season and 4th place in the seven-team league. The Fire returned for the 1998 season. They finished the season with a record of 16 wins and 12 losses (including 1 shootout win and two shootout losses) for 49 points. This placed them 3rd overall in the seven-team league. The Fire made
84-537: A total of 52 games winning 40, two via shootout, and losing 15, one via shootout. They scored a total of 643 points and allowed a total of 471 points and notched 113 total points in standings out of a possible 156 points. The SwampCats were champions of the EISL in 1997 and 1998. The Mississippi Beach Kings were based in the city of Biloxi, Mississippi , and played their games in the Mississippi Coast Coliseum . The Beach Kings played only during
105-461: A total of 564 points and allowed a total of 832 points and notched 40 total points in standings out of a possible 156 points. The Tallahassee Scorpions were based in the city of Tallahassee, Florida , and played their home games in the Donald L. Tucker Center . The Scorpions played a total of 52 games winning 28 of them, one via shootout, and losing 25. They scored a total of 705 points and allowed
126-703: A total of 577 points and notched 80 total points in standings out of a possible 156 points. The Tupelo Hound Dogs were based in the city of Tupelo, Mississippi . They only played during the 1997 season before moving to Pensacola, Florida , for the 1998 season as the Pensacola Flyers . The team played 24 games and finished the season with a record of 12 wins, 12 losses, and 1 shootout win for 35 points. Columbus Comets (EISL) The Mississippi Beach Kings were an indoor soccer team based in Biloxi , Mississippi , United States. They played their games in
147-471: A total of 595 goals and allowed a total of 719 goals and notched 65 total points in standings out of a possible 156 points. (The EISL awarded 3 points for a win, 2 for a shootout win, 1 for a shootout loss, and 0 for a loss in regulation.) The team was successful in Biloxi, earning with the league's second-best average attendance in the 1998 regular season with 3,187 fans per game, and nearly 4,000 per game in
168-587: The Mississippi Coast Coliseum . They were members of the Eastern Indoor Soccer League and played only during the 1998 season. During the 1997 season, the team played in Columbus , Georgia as the Columbus Comets . During their existence, the Beach Kings/Comets played a total of 52 games, winning 21 (including two via shootout) and losing 31 (including four via shootout). They scored
189-531: The Von Braun Center . The Fire played a total of 52 games, winning 29, two via shootout, and losing 23, two via shootout. They scored a total of 810 points and allowed a total of 702 points and notched 87 total points in standings out of a possible 156 points. The Lafayette SwampCats were based in the city of Lafayette, Louisiana and played their home games in the Cajundome . The SwampCats played
210-631: The 1997 season before moving to Biloxi, Mississippi , for the 1998 season as the Mississippi Beach Kings . The team played 24 games and finished the season with a record of 3 wins, 21 losses, and 3 shootout losses for 12 points. Founded as the Florida-based Daytona Beach SpeedKings in 1997, after 8 games the team was sold, relocated, and renamed. The Huntsville Fire were based in the city of Huntsville, Alabama , and played their home games in
231-679: The 1998 season. During the 1997 season, the team played in Tupelo, Mississippi , as the Tupelo Hound Dogs . The team played 28 games and finished the season with a record of 10 wins, 18 losses and 1 shootout loss for 30 points. The Savannah Rug Ratz were based in the city of Savannah, Georgia , and played their home games in the Savannah Civic Center . The Rug Ratz played a total of 52 games winning 14 of them, one via shootout, and losing 39, two via shootout. They scored
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#1732798804042252-478: The 1998 season. During the 1997 season, the team played in Columbus, Georgia , as the Columbus Comets . The team played 28 games and finished the season with a record of 18 wins, 10 losses, 2 shootout wins and 1 shootout loss for 53 points. The Pensacola Flyers were based in the city of Pensacola, Florida , and played their games in the Pensacola Civic Center . The Flyers played only during
273-736: The EISL All-League Second Team included midfielder Darren Snyder. Players named to the EISL All-League Third Team included midfielder Curtis Stelzer. Players receiving All-League Honorable Mentions included defender Damian Harley and midfielder Antonio Sutton. In January 2015, a group of Atlanta -based investors announced plans to potentially revive the Beach Kings as members of the Major Arena Soccer League . A local partner
294-410: The ability to treat players, fans and officials with genuine respect and kindness." Huntsville Fire players named to the 1998 EISL All-League Team included midfielder Lee Edgerton and defender Ed Carmean. Players named to the EISL All-League Third Team included defender Carlton Williams. Players receiving All-League Honorable Mentions included defender Abraham Francois and midfielder Jamie Harding. After
315-527: The city of Baton Rouge, Louisiana and played their home games in the Baton Rouge River Center Arena . The Bombers played a total of 52 games winning 32, one via shootout, and losing 20, one via shootout. They scored a total of 689 points and allowed a total of 566 points and notched 96 total points in standings out of a possible 156 points. The Columbus Comets were based in the city of Columbus, Georgia . They only played during
336-564: The league's top offense, the team failed to draw fans and suffered financially. Before the season, team owner Blake Cullen told the Orlando Sentinel that the team would need to average about 3,000 fans per game to break even. The team's official home attendance average was 609 per game but the bulk of those were complimentary tickets with the SpeedKings selling fewer than 200 tickets per game. This failure prompted Cullen to sell
357-486: The playoffs, losing to the Mississippi Beach Kings 2 games to 1 in the semi-final round. The Fire averaged 2,535 fans per game, fourth-best in the EISL where the average league game saw 2,733 fans in attendance. Lee Edgerton was named EISL Most Valuable Player for the 1998 season. Ed Carmean was honored with the EISL's first Sportsmanship Award, presented to the player who "displays gentlemanly play and
378-500: The playoffs. The Beach Kings planned to return for the 1999 season but the league shutdown after two other teams withdrew. Head coach Gary Hindley was named EISL Coach of the Year for the 1998 season. General manager Roy Turner was named EISL Executive of the Year for the 1998 season. Mississippi Beach Kings players named to the 1998 EISL All-League Team included goalkeeper Stuart Dobson and midfielder Novi Marojevic. Players named to
399-477: The season, in late September 1998, the team fired its five-person staff, including head coach Scott Cooper and general manager Jim Krause, citing "significant" financial losses. Team president Bryan Dresden said he would not move or fold the team but that additional local investors were required for the team to continue. This became moot when the EISL itself folded in late December 1998. Eastern Indoor Soccer League The Eastern Indoor Soccer League (EISL)
420-588: The team to Major League Indoor Football, Inc., based in Clearwater, Florida , who announced the team would relocate to the Von Braun Center in Huntsville, Alabama . In just three weeks the new management headed by team president Bryan Dresden, moved the team from Daytona Beach opening to an inaugural crowd of over 2500 new fans in Huntsville, Alabama. The renamed Huntsville Fire finished the season with
441-941: Was an American professional regional indoor soccer league. The league featured teams from the Southeastern United States . The regular seasons were played from May to August with post-season play in September. The EISL lasted two seasons before folding. Huntsville began the season as the Daytona Beach Speed Kings. CHAMPIONSHIP GAME: Lafayette 12, Baton Rouge 9 Before the season, the Tupelo team moved to Pensacola, Florida, and Columbus moved to Biloxi, Mississippi. SEMI-FINALS: Lafayette over Baton Rouge 2 games to 0; Mississippi over Huntsville 2 games to 1. CHAMPIONSHIP GAME: Lafayette 10, Mississippi 9 The Baton Rouge Bombers were based in
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