From: Patrick Armstrong, Director of Communications
713.361.7920 (Direct Line)
Scott Henninger, Communications Manager
713.361.7930 (Direct Line)
Sunday, March 23, 2008

AEROS DEFEAT RAMPAGE 3-2, MOVE WITHIN ONE OF THIRD-PLACE SAN ANTONIO

HOUSTON, Texas – The Houston Aeros won their fifth straight road-game, tying a season-high, and moved within one point of the third-place San Antonio Rampage with 3-2 win in San Antonio Sunday night in front of 2,983 fans at AT&T Center. The Aeros (38-25-2-3) victory improved the club record to 6-4 against the Rampage (36-24-3-7) to finish the teams’ season-series. The Aeros return home for two more games this week, Tuesday and Friday, before hitting the road for two weeks. Call 713.974.PUCK and order your tickets as the Aeros are deep in the playoff race!

Box Score

San Antonio carried the pace in the first period, but Aeros goaltender Barry Brust was up to the task stopping all 14 shots faced. Houston only managed three shots, but the score remained 0-0 after one period.

Danny Irmen gave the Aeros a 1-0 lead just 26 seconds into the second period when he picked up a rebound and lifted it over the left shoulder of Rampage goaltender Josh Tordjman. Marco Rosa and Cal Clutterbuck picked up assists on the play. However, on the following shift, San Antonio answered and tied the game at one. Bill Thomas scored his 22nd of the season on a backdoor pass from Matt Murley just 20 seconds after the Aeros goal. Brust nearly got his left leg pad on the puck but it just glanced off the pad and into the back of the net.

Enter Ryan Hamilton. The Aeros left winger scored the first of his two goals when he picked up a loose puck at the blue line, dashed around a defender and lifted the puck into the padding of Tordjman and jammed in his own rebound. The goal came at the 16:20 mark of the second period and gave the Aeros a 2-1 lead heading into the final intermission.

Hamilton gave the Aeros a 3-1 lead at the 3:32 mark of the third period when he took the puck from behind the net and wrapped a backhand around to the right of Tordjman for his second of the game. It was the eventual game winner as San Antonio made it close when Cam Paddock scored his ninth goal of the season with 2:43 remaining in the game.

Houston staved off the final Rampage push and won their 38th game of the season. Brust finished with 36 saves and picked up his team-leading 19th win of the season (19-13-3). Neither team recorded a power-play goal with the Aeros getting two chances to San Antonio’s three.

Houston returns home to take on the Peoria Rivermen in a pair of games this week, Tuesday and Friday. The Rivermen are currently sixth in the West Division, only three points behind the Aeros. Call 713.974.PUCK to order your tickets today to watch the intense action as Houston tries to hold their playoff spot and keep the Rivermen from getting back in the hunt for the post-season.

Notes:
- Center Marco Rosa tallied two assists in the game. He has points in five of the last six games including four two-point games. In total, Rosa has two goals and seven assists for nine points in the six games.
- Having won four-straight road contests coming into tonight, the win marks a season-high fifth straight when outside of Houston. The prior four wins came at Syracuse, Hamilton, Rochester and Lake Erie all in February.
- The win improved the Aeros’ record against San Antonio to 6-4 on the season. The game was their final match-up of the regular season. Houston improved to an all-time record of 44-17-6-3 against the Rampage, a .693 points percentage.
- Ryan Hamilton’s two-goal performance set a career-high for goals in a game and also tied a career-high two points in a game. Hamilton has only recorded two-points in a game only twice in his career prior to Sunday, both came on two-assist performances.
- Houston moved into a tie for fourth place with the Milwaukee Admirals at 81 points apiece. However, the Aeros have one game in-hand over the Admirals and play the club five times in the remaining twelve games of the season including a three-in-three the last weekend of the regular season (April 11-13).
- The West Division is still the tightest in the league with only six points separating second and sixth place. The Aeros are only one point behind San Antonio in third and three points behind Rockford in second with two games in-hand on each club.

-- HOUSTON AEROS --