December 19 (1979)

In an indoor soccer game that has almost everything — a combined 116 shots and 17 goals, a bench-clearing fight, two player ejections and sudden-death overtime — the only thing the St. Louis Steamers lack is a victory. Joe Fink’s shot deflects off Steamers’ defender Sam Bick into the net at 11:45 of overtime as the Philadelphia Fever escape the Checkerdome with a 9-8 victory. Fink’s winner is his third goal of the night. Teammate and indoor soocer scoring phenom Fred Grgurev also has a hat trick, giving him 14 goals with the season just six games old. The game’s biggest moment, though, has nothing to do with scoring a goal. Just before halftime, Philadelphia’s Bobby Smith runs Steamers defender Steve Pecher into the boards. Pecher comes up swinging, the benches empty, and Steamers defender Carl Rose restrains head coach Pat McBride from entering the fray. Pecher and Smith are ejected. Playing just five days after selling out the Checkerdome in their home opener, the first-year Steamers draw “only” 8,127 on a Wednesday night. Manny Cuenca and Dan Counce score two goals apiece for the Steamers, who see their record fall to 1-4.