AEROS BOUNCE BACK IN THIRD, BEAT RAMPAGE 3-1

HOUSTON --- Matt Hackett turned aside 28 shots, Colton Gillies chipped in with a goal and an assist and J.M. Daoust scored his second game-winner in as many home contests as the Houston Aeros nipped the San Antonio Rampage 3-1 in front of 5,635 fans Sunday at Toyota Center.

Daoust broke a 1-1 tie in the third after the teams traded first period tallies. His seventh goal of the season, at 16:13, was a back-door tap-in, capping off tic-tac-toe passing from Chad Rau and Robbie Earl.

San Antonio’s Ryan Hollweg put the Rampage up with a power play goal at 16:27 of the first period. Kris Fredheim and the Aeros responded 2:32 later to knot the score.

Gillies, who assisted on Fredheim’s goal, added an empty-net insurance goal on the power play with 18 seconds left in regulation. Jed Ortmeyer assisted on the game-tying and empty net goals to record his first multi-point contest in an Aeros sweater.

Al Montoya made 30 saves in the loss for San Antonio.

The victory runs Houston’s home-win streak to four games, tying a season-high set Oct. 31-Nov. 21. The Aeros also improved to 3-1-0-0 at home against the Rampage. The win helped Houston maintain possession of the No. 6 spot in the West Division race and pulled them to within six points of the third place Rampage.
 
The Aeros begin a run of four games in five nights starting this Wednesday at Rockford. Faceoff is scheduled for 6:35 p.m. CST. The team returns home for a pair of games vs. the Grand Rapids Griffins on Saturday (7:35 p.m.) and Sunday (4:05 p.m.).

Call 713-974-7825 (PUCK) for more information on Aeros tickets and other promotions.

DECIDING GOAL
Daoust (14:13, 3rd)

POWER PLAYS
HOU: 1/3
SA: 1/2

GOALIES
HOU: Hackett (28/29, W)
SA: Montoya (30/32, L)

TEAM RECORDS
HOU: 21-18-1-2
SA: 25-14-1-0

AEROS STARTERS
F: Gillies, Ortmeyer, Peters
D: Prosser, Falk
G: Hackett

AEROS SCRATCHES
Fraser, Wellman, Kalus, Broda

NEXT GAME
Jan. 12 at Rockford, 6:35 p.m. CST

BOMB DROPPINGS
Ortmeyer has at least a point in three of four games since joining the team…Casey Wellman missed his eighth straight game…Houston, which leads the AHL with 25 first goals, has allowed the first goal in four consecutive games vs. the Rampage…The four-game winning streak at home coincides with a four-game home win streak for Hackett, which is a personal season-high…The Aeros mirrored a come-from-behind win on Jan. 1 by scoring twice in the third period.