From: Ryan Stanzel
Director of Communications
Friday, November 3, 2006
713.361.7930 (Direct Line)

Marlies 2, Aeros 1
Official Box Score

HOUSTON, Texas – Justin Pogge stopped 36 shots and Jeremy Williams snapped a tie with a power play goal midway through the second period, as the Toronto Marlies held off the Houston Aeros 2-1 at Toyota Center. Colin Murphy scored an early goal on a breakaway for Toronto, which had lost two of three.

Matt Foy scored a goal and Josh Harding made 24 saves for Houston (3-7-0-1), which went 2-2-0-0 on its four-game homestand. The Aeros open up a four-game road trip Saturday in Hamilton at 6 p.m. in a rematch of Houston’s 2-1 win October 27 at Toyota Center.

Aeros defenseman Shawn Belle saved an early goal with Toronto swarming on the power play, when he pushed the puck out of an open crease.

Murphy put Toronto up with his fourth goal of the season, just 4:49 into the game. Aeros defenseman Erik Reitz pinched at the far point, and Murphy pushed the puck by him. Murphy raced in untouched on the left wing and went high on Harding.

Less than two minutes later, Williams clanged a shot off the post from the mid slot.

The Aeros lost defenseman Peter Ratchuk at the 11:43 mark of the first, when Brad Leeb sent him hard into the right wing boards with an elbow. Ratchuk was helped off the ice and didn’t return.

Foy’s goal with one second left on a Houston power play tied the game with 4:01 left in the first. Wyatt Smith, behind the net, threaded a pass to Belle at the center point. Belle’s shot through traffic landed on Foy’s stick at the left doorstep, and the winger ripped the puck inside Pogge’s blocker and the near post for his fourth goal of the season.

Aeros rookie winger Ryan Hamilton got loose in the mid slot midway through the second, but Pogge swallowed up his backhander.

The Marlies retook the lead at 10:30 of the second, just seven seconds into a power play. Former Aero Erik Westrum won the faceoff to Leeb, who from below the right circle fed Williams in the circle. Williams blistered a one-timer by Harding for his third goal of the season. The goal ended Houston’s penalty kill streak at 24 straight chances.

Roman Voloshenko nearly tied it up for Houston with 5:30 left in the second and the Aeros on the power play. But Pogge stopped him, then Voloshenko was crushed in a pile of bodies while Toronto veteran Boyd Devereaux cleared the puck out of harm’s way.

Harding made a great pad save on J.J. Hunter’s 3-on-2 blast from between the circles late in the second.

Houston had two great chances in the opening minute of the third. First, Belle set up Bryan Lundbohm in the right circle, and the veteran centerman one-timed a shot just wide of the near post. Reitz then hopped off the bench and let loose on a failed clear, but it hit the far post.

That nearly led to a Marlies goal on the other end, but Harding denied Williams on a 2-on-1.

Two minutes later, Lundbohm fed Joel Ward in a shorthanded 2-on-1, but the pass was just behind him.

With 15:45 left in the third, Foy slid a transition attempt just wide from the right circle, and then went slowly to the bench after sliding headfirst into the boards.

Voloshenko had a point blank attempt with 7:45 remaining, but Pogge made the save.

The Aeros then got a power play when Jeff Corey high sticked Smith to the ground. Early on the man advantage, Pogge gobbled up Curtis Murphy’s left point blast.

Pogge stoned Foy twice, first streaking in from the left circle, and then a rebound attempt.

Pogge then made maybe his best save of the night, as Alex Leavitt set up Hamilton perfectly in the low slot. Pogge ranged right to left to make the stop.

With 3:05 remaining, Stoner faked Pogge out of the cage, and slid a shot inches wide of the far post.

Houston finished 1-for-7 on the power play, while Toronto went 1-for-4.

Notes:

Not dressing for the Aeros were Steve Shields, Dieter Kochan, Ryan Stokes, John Scott, Benoit Pouliot and Joey Tetarenko.

Houston is 2-3-0-1 in one-goal games.