From: Ryan Stanzel
Director of Communications
Saturday, November 18, 2006
713.361.7930 (Direct Line)

Knights 3, Aeros 0
Official Box Score

OMAHA, Neb. – Brent Krahn made 14 saves for his 10th career AHL shutout, and David Moss and Eric Nystrom scored a goal apiece in the game’s opening 7:41, as the Omaha Ak-Sar-Ben Knights ruined a fine performance by Tony Quesada in his pro debut with a 3-0 victory over the Aeros at Omaha Civic Auditorium.

Quesada was solid, making 34 stops for Houston (8-8-0-1), which had won five in a row overall and on the road. After making appearances in 16 straight games to begin the season – including 15 starts – the Aeros’ Josh Harding didn’t dress for the game. Houston, which played at home last night and flew to Omaha this morning, recorded its lowest shot total since joining the AHL in 2001-02.

Harding will be available Sunday, when the Aeros return home to face Hartford for a 5:05 p.m. Family Day matchup. The Aeros will host the Discovery astronauts, and also Pat Onstad of the MLS champion Houston Dynamo. Click here to buy single game tickets. Also, click here to find out how you can get a VIP photo reception with Dynamo, and the MLS Cup!

Eric Godard added an empty net goal as Omaha (12-4-1-0) remained in first place in the West Division. Krahn’s 14-save shutout was the second fewest saves ever needed to blank the Aeros. Grand Rapids’ Mike Fountain had a 12-save shutout in a 1-0 win March 31, 2000. Krahn made three saves in the first period, eight in the second and three in the third.

The Knights took just 2:04 to get on the board, on Moss’ fifth goal of the season. Tomi Maki carried the puck into the zone 2-on-1 from the left wing, and he hit a cutting Moss in the right circle. Moss lifted a shot top shelf before Quesada could recover.

Aeros winger Peter Olvecky had a good chance on the power play five minutes in, but Krahn turned away his knuckler.

Nystrom’s second goal in six games since being assigned from Calgary made it 2-0 with 7:41 gone in the first. He finished off another odd-man rush, this one a pass from Warren Peters.

The Aeros had outscored their opponents 6-1 in the first period over their last four games, having taken a lead into the locker room three times.

Matt Foy had a point-blank shot on the power play early in the second, but Krahn stood his ground by the near post and made the save.

Quesada made a great save midway through the second, when Brandon Prust – just down from Calgary – went coast-to-coast and rifled a shot from the left circle.

Quesada kept the deficit at two again after Prust beat Curtis Murphy to a loose puck at center ice with Houston on the power play. Prust broke in alone, but Quesada made the pad save.

Houston’s Roman Voloshenko and Peter Ratchuk each had nearly open nets to shoot at on that same power play, but both shots were somehow blocked.

Quesada stopped Dustin Boyd’s redirection from the right circle early in the third.

A minute later on the other end, Krahn just got enough of Bryan Lundbohm’s rebound of a Joel Ward miss to keep the shutout intact.

Murphy ripped a shot from the center point on the power play with six minutes left, and it hit Omaha blueliner Brett Palin up high. Palin went straight to the locker room.

Godard, an enforcer, tacked on the empty net goal.

Houston finished 0-for-5 on the power play, while Omaha went 0-for-3. The Aeros have killed off 64-of-67 shorthanded chances in the last 10 games, including 22 straight in the last four.

Notes:

Not dressing for the Aeros were Harding, Steve Shields, Dieter Kochan, Ryan Hamilton, Chris Ovington and Ben Thomson.

The Aeros recalled goalie Miroslav Kopriva from ECHL Texas this morning to back up Quesada.

Murphy remains at 399 points in his professional career.

Aeros rookie Benoit Pouliot had his four-game point streak snapped. He was tied with Foy for the longest point streak on the team this season.

Houston fell to 4-2-0-1 when playing the second of back-to-back games, although it had won its last four attempts. Tomorrow, the Aeros complete three games in three nights for the first time this season.

Four of the five meetings last season in Omaha went to overtime or a shootout.

Houston is winless in its last four trips to Omaha (0-2-1-1).

Aeros defenseman Ryan Stokes picked up his 200th career penalty minute in his 94th game with the team.