At the Stoneham Arena last week, the Chelsea Fire Department Hockey Team claimed victory in the 6th Annual Metro-Fire Hockey Tournament, finishing in first place among 16 participating fire departments.
Somerville Fire Department’s Mark Wall organized the tournament, with all proceeds benefiting the families of Boston Fire Lt. Edward Walsh and Firefighter Michael Kennedy. These two firefighters lost their lives in March while responding to a 9-alarm fire in Boston.
Chelsea’s tournament run began with a 4-0 shutout of Medford Fire on Friday, April 4, followed by a 6-2 victory over Cambridge Fire on Wednesday, April 9. The team’s only regular-season loss came on April 10 when Everett/Revere Fire prevailed 10-8.
Advancing through the playoffs, Chelsea Fire defeated Somerville Fire 2-0 in the semifinals, then beat Wakefield Fire 3-1 to reach the championship game.
The finals on April 13 pitted Chelsea against Everett/Revere Fire. Karl Houghton and Nick Quatieri gave Chelsea an early 2-0 advantage, but Everett/Revere answered with a power play goal to trail 2-1 after the first period. With 10 minutes left and the score tied 3-3, Houghton netted his third goal of the night to put Chelsea ahead 4-3. Chelsea Fire held on through a final two-minute barrage by Everett/Revere to secure the win.
This championship marked the first time a team other than Somerville or Malden won the tournament.
The 2014 Metro-Fire Hockey Tournament Champions, Chelsea Fire Department Hockey Team. Pictured in front row, Kevin O’Keefe, Nick Quatieri, Sean Fitzpatrick and Dave Asci. Back row, Al Peters, Steve Purcell, Artie Caissie, Mike Lee, Chris Troisi and Karl Houghton