The Fire Rocket League team took down the Webber International University Warriors in their season opener, and the Sun Conference game of the week.
If the Fire wanted to start the season off by making a statement, this was the way to do it. After taking the early lead 40 seconds into game one with a score from
Winston Haynes (Vindigho), it seemed the Fire could do no wrong on either side of the ball. Game one ended with a score of 3-2 in a narrow Fire victory. Haynes led the team in scoring with two of the three Fire goals, including one beautiful flip reset aerial goal.
The victory in game one was all the Fire needed to jump start their electrifying offense. Sun Conference fans hoping for a close matchup in their game of the week would be disappointed as the Fire took game two 5-1, and ended the match with a 5-0 victory in game three.
Haynes finished the night with nine total goals. One of his best assets has been aerial control, and that was on full display for the duration of the contest, as it seemed he spent more time in the air than on the ground. Jacob Henphill (Jcub) was the team's defensive specialist, leading the team with four saves, three of which came in a masterful game three shutout.
Justin Lewis (NimrodTheWhiffer) was also a strong contributor, finding a goal in each game.
Perhaps the most impressive aspect of the night was what did not appear on the stat sheet. For a team that has struggled with team coordination, it's a statement to their growth that their strongest ally on display was their teamplay. It was nearly a perfect cooperative effort.
The Fire will look to build upon their strong performance in week two, when they play on Fire Esports twitch at 8 p.m. ET.
