MARCH 20, 2011
HOUSTON AEROS - 2nd, West Division (40-25-1-5, 86 pts.) vs. SAN ANTONIO RAMPAGE – 7th, West Division (37-27-3-1, 78 pts.)
AT&T CENTER (3 p.m. CST)

ON TV
Sunday’s game at San Antonio will be televised on Fox Sports Southwest – San Antonio  (Dish Network – 416; AT&T UVerse – 756; DirecTV – 655; Comcast – 37/637; Not all carriers are guaranteed to show the game; Check listings for conflicts).

OVERVIEW
The Houston Aeros and San Antonio Rampage face off at the AT&T Center on Sunday in the second game of a home-and-home series. The Aeros have points in four straight (3-0-0-1) and defeated the Rampage 5-1 last night at Toyota Center.

LAST FIVE GAMES/LAST RESULT
Houston (3-1-0-1) --- March 19 (HOU 5, SA 1)
San Antonio (1-3-0-1) --- March 19 (HOU 5, SA 1)

WHERE THEY STAND
The Aeros, with 86 points, sit one point out of first place in the West Division behind Milwaukee. Peoria (81 pts.) and Texas (80 pts.) are right behind the Aeros, while Chicago, San Antonio and Oklahoma City remain in the playoff mix.

WHAT THE GAME MEANS
A win will move the Aeros past Milwaukee into sole possession of first place. Milwaukee is off on Sunday.
 
SERIES NOTES
Houston is 5-4-0-0 vs. the Rampage this season (4-1-0-0 at home, 1-3-0-0 on the road)…  HOU has won five of the last six meetings… Matt Hackett has started four of the last five games in the series for HOU… The Rampage has scored the first goal in four of the last five games in the series… HOU is 5/44 on the PP while SA is 9/37.

AEROS LAST GAME QUICK RECAP
Carson McMillan scored twice, Patrick O’Sullivan and Robbie Earl extended goal streaks and netminder Matt Hackett turned aside 14 shots as the Houston Aeros beat the San Antonio Rampage 5-1 on Saturday night at Toyota Center in front of 11,273 fans, the largest crowd of the season.

NHL AFFILIATES
Houston Aeros (Minnesota Wild)
San Antonio Rampage (Phoenix Coyotes)

WILD UPDATE
BLUE JACKETS 5, WILD 4 (OT): The Wild got goals from Antii Miettinen and Pierre-Marc Bouchard in the final 5:07 of regulation to force overtime, but Columbus center Antoine Vermette scored with 33.5 seconds left in the overtime to give the Blue Jackets the victory on Saturday. The Wild has now gone five games without a win.

AEROS UPCOMING GAMES
March 20 at SA, 3 p.m.
March 22 at Texas, 7:30 p.m.
March 25 vs. OKC, 7:35 p.m.

BROADCAST INFO
Follow the Aeros on News Talk 1070 KNTH and online at AEROS.COM with Joe O’Donnell providing the play-by-play call. Watch every game at www.ahllive.com.

AEROS NOTABLES
--- The 5-1 win over SA on March 19 gave the Aeros 40 wins in a season for the 10th time as a franchise.
--- Houston is 30-17-1-1 vs. West Division teams.
--- Houston is 8-8-0-4 vs. North Division teams.
--- The Aeros are 15 games over .500, a season high.
--- Houston’s 21 home wins is tied for the most in the West Division with SA.
--- The Aeros have had 30 or more shots in 14 of the last 15 games.
--- Jon DiSalvatore’s two goals on March 6 gave him 20 on the season and marked his eighth straight 20-goal campaign.
--- Opponents have scored the first goal of the game in six straight, a season-high.
--- The Aeros are 22-8-0-3 since Jan. 1.
--- All 40 of Houston’s wins have come when the team allows three or fewer goals.
--- The Aeros have earned 30 of their 40 victories when scoring the first goal of the game.
--- Houston set a franchise record with six goals in the third period on March 13 vs. MTB (6-3 win).

AEROS GOALIES
Matt Hackett is 4-1-1 in his last six decisions…  Josh Tordjman is 3-1-0 in five appearances this season.

AEROS SCORING STREAKS
--- Patrick O’Sullivan; points in 13 of 14 games (9-13-22)... 22 of 27 as an Aero this season (17-19-36)… Goals and points in three straight (4-1-5).
--- Robbie Earl; Points in five straight (3-2-5)… Goals in three straight.

AEROS INJURY UPDATE
Jamie Fraser is out with an upper body injury… Matt Kassian is out with a lower body injury… Tyler Cuma is out for the season with a knee injury suffered Feb. 13, 2011 vs. PEO.

AEROS SPECIAL TEAMS
POWER PLAY --- Is 1/17 in the last three games… Has multiple PPG in 12 games and is 8-2-0-2 in those games… Set franchise record and AHL season-high with six PPG on March 2 vs. RFD… Was held to one or no PPG in 15 straight games prior to Feb. 4 (2-for-4).

PENALTY KILL --- Opponents are 3/9 in the last three games… Held opponents to one or no PPG in 15 straight games until TOR went 2-for-5 on Jan. 23…Has allowed multiple PPG in nine games and is 2-7-0-0 in those contests.

AEROS RECENT ROSTER MOVES
D Nate Prosser was recalled by MIN on March 19… F Joel Broda was reassigned to BAK on March 18… F Chris Lawrence was released from his PTO on March 14… F Scott Campbell was signed to an ATO on March 14… F Casey Wellman was reassigned by MIN on March 10… D Marco Scandella was recalled by MIN on March 9… F Casey Wellman was recalled by MIN on March 9.

AEROS PRONUNCIATION GUIDE
6 - scan-DELL-uh
14 – deh-SAL-vuh-tohr
20 – ROWH (like now)
22 – ORT-migh-uhr
26 – Max-uhm naw-roh
32 – FRED-haym
42 – KAS-ee-uhn
61 – KOO-muh
62 – DAH-ooh
Yeo – YOH
Sydor – sugh-DOHR
Tretiak – TREE-tee-ack