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Ryan Stanzel
Director of Communications
Monday, April 3, 2006
713.361.7930 (Direct Line)

AEROS WEEKLY REPORT

Coming Attractions:

SUN, vs. SAN, 5:05 p.m.
Family Day
Buy tickets
The ever popular Family Day returns. Get four tickets, $20 in Toyota Bucks, four Aeros gifts and free parking, all starting at just $59! The special post-game family activity is an autograph session with Sonic Boom and Chilly. Log on to www.aeros.com/themenights to order! Username is Family, password is Aeros. Or, call 713.974.PUCK to order. Special offer not available at the Toyota Center Box Office.

San Antonio enters the week in last place overall in the AHL with a 21-46-2-4 mark for 48 points. The Rampage has lost seven straight since earning back-to-back victories over the Aeros on March 18 and 19. San Antonio has been shut out in three of its last seven games, and has been outscored 28-7 in the losing streak. The Rampage plays hosts to Milwaukee on Thursday and Saturday.
The Aeros are 7-3-1-0 against San Antonio this season, but have gone 0-2-1-0 in the last three meetings. Houston lost those three games despite outshooting San Antonio by a combined 140-65 margin. The Aeros are 31-8-6-2 all-time against San Antonio, which has just two regulation wins in Houston in four seasons. The Aeros are 19-2-2-0 all-time at home versus the Rampage.

All Aeros games are broadcast live on KNTH 1070-AM and through aeros.com. For $6, you can also watch the game live via B2 Networks. Visit aeros.com 10 minutes prior to gametime to order.

Player of the Week RW Kirby Law
3/28 at PEO 0-1=1, E
3/31 at OMA 0-1=1, E
4/1 vs. PEO 2-0=2, +2
4/2 vs. PEO 0-1=1, +1
Totals - 4gp, 2-3=5, +3
Posted five points (2-3=5) in four games last week to increase league-leading total to 104 (40-64=104), tying the third-highest AHL point total since the 1997-98 season...Has a seven-game point streak, with 11 points (4-7=11) in that span...GWG Saturday against Peoria was his sixth of the season, one off the team record, most recently matched this season by LW Patrick O'Sullivan.

Notables –

With two weeks and five games left in the AHL’s regular season, Houston is 46-23-3-3 for 98 points. The Aeros are three points behind first-place Milwaukee, but with a game in hand. The Admirals play twice this week, both games at last-place San Antonio, before the Aeros play again. Houston is five points up on third-place Peoria, which has a game in hand. The Aeros’ magic number to clinch home ice in the West Division Finals is eight points, a combination of their own points gained and points lost by Peoria.
Games remaining:
MIL (101 points, 4GR, 1H, 3R): 4/6 at SAN, 4/8 at SAN, 4/14 vs. CHI, 4/15 at GR
HOU (98 points, 5GR, 3H, 2R): 4/9 vs. SAN, 4/11 vs. OMA, 4/14 vs. OMA, 4/15 at CHI, 4/16 at IOW
PEO (93 points, 6GR, 4H, 2R): 4/7 vs. CHI, 4/8 at OMA, 4/9 vs. OMA, 4/11 at SAN, 4/14 vs. IOW, 4/15 at IOW

RW Kirby Law's 104 points (40-64=104) are 11 clear of Grand Rapids' Jiri Hudler for the top spot in the AHL. Law is on pace to have the biggest margin over a second-place finisher since the 1999-2000 season, when Christian Matte (104) beat Mike Maneluk (87) by 17 points. Law also is tied for the third-highest AHL point total since 1997-98. The second-highest total in that span was Mike Cammalleri in 2004-05, with 109 points. Jason Spezza put up 117 for Binghamton in 2004-05. Brian Wiseman holds the team record with 109 points, in 1998-99.

LW Patrick O'Sullivan continues to lead all AHL rookies with 85 points (44-41=85). His 44 goals are one off Jeff Christian's 1998-99 team record, and are also tied for the third-most goals by a rookie since 1990-91. His 85 points are the fifth-most by a first-year player since 1994-95.

The Aeros are 2-for-51 (3.9 percent) on the power play in the last nine games. The final seven of those games have come after the recall of C Erik Westrum by the NHL's Minnesota Wild.

RW Kirby Law picked up his 1,000th career AHL penalty minute on Sunday, joining teammate Scott Ferguson in the category.

G Seamus Kotyk enters the week with 49 career AHL victories.

Houston picked up its 200th AHL victory Saturday against Peoria. The Aeros are 200-139-40-16 in their five AHL campaigns.

West Division Semifinals tickets on sale now – Tickets for Games “A” and “B” of the 2006 Calder Cup Playoffs West Division Semifinals are on sale now! Game dates and times will be announced at a later date. Tickets are available at the Toyota Center Box Office, at select area Randalls locations, online at www.aeros.com or by calling 1.866.GO.AEROS.

The Toyota Center Box Office is open 9 a.m.-6 p.m. Monday-Friday, 10 a.m.-6 p.m. Saturday and from 12 p.m.-event time on Sunday event days. Two inside windows of the Toyota Center Box Office will also remain open until the end of the second intermission at Aeros home games. Single-game playoff tickets for the West Division Semifinals begin at $14. Please visit www.aeros.com or call the Aeros office at 713.974.PUCK for more information on playoff packages, playoff vouchers and special group pricing for the Calder Cup Playoffs.

Aeros earned three of eight points last week
PEO 8, HOU 2; OMA 2, HOU 1 (OT); HOU 5, PEO 0; PEO 3, HOU 1

Tuesday: Ryan Ramsay, Gavin Morgan and Tomas Mojzis each scored two goals and rookie David Backes added a goal and two assists, as the Peoria Rivermen used five power play goals to hand the Houston Aeros an 8-2 loss at Carver Arena.
Patrick O’Sullivan and Peter Olvecky each scored late in the third period, and Kirby Law added an assist to become just the 95th player in the 70-year history of the AHL to reach 100 points.

Friday: Warren Peters forced overtime with a power play goal with 1:52 left in regulation, and Mark Giordano scored 1:03 into the extra session, as the Omaha Ak-Sar-Ben Knights continued their torrid run with a 2-1 victory over Houston.
Rookie sensation Patrick O’Sullivan scored his team-leading 44th goal and Seamus Kotyk made 21 saves for Houston.

Saturday: Seamus Kotyk made 36 saves, AHL leading scorer Kirby Law scored two goals and Scott Ferguson, Joel Ward and Matt Foy each added a goal, as the Houston Aeros snapped an eight-game winless span with a convincing 5-0 victory over the Peoria Rivermen in front of 8,525 on Chad Hedrick Night at Toyota Center. The Aeros, who got two assists apiece from newcomer Greg Mauldin and Bryan Lundbohm, were 0-5-2-1 in their last eight games but opened up a five-game homestand with a huge victory.

Sunday: David Backes, Mike Zigomanis and Trevor Byrne had a goal apiece and Scott Reid made 32 saves, as the Peoria Rivermen defeated the Houston Aeros 3-1 at Toyota Center.
Greg Mauldin scored his first goal as an Aero and Seamus Kotyk made 18 stops for Houston.

Aeros’ Practice schedule:
Monday – Off
Tuesday – 10-11:30 a.m., Sugar Land
Wednesday – 10-11:30 a.m., Sugar Land
Thursday – 10-11:30 a.m., Sugar Land
Friday – 10-11:30 a.m., Sugar Land
Saturday – 10-11:30 a.m., Sugar Land
Sunday – vs. SAN 5:05 p.m.
Aeros non game-day practices are at Sugar Land Ice & Sports Center, the Official Training Facility of the Houston Aeros.


---HOUSTON AEROS, BE A FAN---