From: Ryan Stanzel
Director of Communications
Sunday, February 27, 2005
713.361.7930 (Direct Line)

Aeros 3, Rampage 2 (SO)
Official Box Score


SAN ANTONIO, Texas– Matt Foy scored his fourth goal in three games, then notched the deciding shootout tally, as the Houston Aeros defeated the San Antonio Rampage 3-2 at SBC Center in the first of three straight meetings between the teams. Josh Harding made 20 saves and Rickard Wallin also scored for Houston, which finished its five-game road trip at 2-1-1-1 and moved within six points of third-place Cincinnati with five games in hand.



Houston entertains the Rampage at 7 p.m. Wednesday in an Aeros Happy Hour contest.



Brent Cullaton and Joel Kwiatkowski each scored a goal and Travis Scott stopped 32 shots for San Antonio, which was playing its first home game after a 12-game road trip.



The Aeros scored first for the third time in four games, getting Foy’s 10th of the season at 5:11 of the first period. Marc Cavosie came away with the puck in a fray in front of the net, and he fed Foy in the low right circle. With Scott and a crush of bodies in front, Foy roofed a shot over everyone and into the far top corner of the net for his fourth goal in the last three games.



Houston’s Mikko Koivu was turned away from low in the left circle midway through the first, and Pierre-Marc Bouchard hit the post a minute later.



It appeared as though the Aeros would take the lead into the intermission, but a high-sticking call to Patrick Traverse set up Kwiatkowski’s 11th goal as time expired. Chris Nielsen grabbed a loose puck off the far post, skated behind the net and slid a pass to an unmarked Kwiatkowski between the circles. The defenseman ripped a shot by Harding just before the buzzer sounded.



The Aeros began to control the game more in the second period, outshooting the Rampage 9-3.



San Antonio’s Greg Jacina had a great chance with 7:30 left in the second, walking around the Aeros defense and firing blocker side on Harding, but the puck hit the near post and rattled out.



Stephane Veilleux broke in alone on Scott with 3:18 left, but the netminder stayed low and made the save before getting help from a defenseman to cover up the rebound.



The Aeros began the third period on the power play after a skirmish to end the second but didn’t record a shot. Three minutes later, Scott kicked out Bouchard’s rocket from the top of the left circle.



With 12:58, Kyle Wanvig tipped a Mikko Koivu attempt from the left circle, but the puck went straight into Scott’s glove.



With the Rampage still without a shot in the third period, Wallin’s eighth goal broke the tie with 11:57 remaining. Bouchard went straight to the net from the right corner, and Scott stopped his stuff attempt. Wallin poked the rebound off the post, then gathered his own rebound and lifted it high over Scott.



Just 26 seconds later, Cullaton fired from just inside the blueline at the left point, and the shot beat Harding glove side for his second goal on San Antonio’s first shot of the period.



Harding saved the Aeros with 8:31 left, as he just got a piece of a Juraj Kolnik attempt off a faceoff. The rebound popped straight up in the air, but Harding, as he fell backwards, gloved the puck as he hit the ground.



A Houston turnover off a faceoff with 11 seconds remaining led to a great chance between the circles by Stephen Weiss, but Harding made the save. Another shot hit the side of the net as time expired.



The Aeros got a power play 45 seconds into overtime after San Antonio was called for too many men on the ice. Early in the advantage, Harding stopped Gregory Campbell’s 2-on-1 shorthanded attempt.



Scott stopped Brent Burns’ rocket from the right circle a minute into the power play.



The Aeros had two great chances to win it with less than 20 seconds left. Bouchard rang a shot off the right point, and Scott reached behind him to snag Burns’ rebound attempt.



Houston outshot San Antonio 5-2 in the five-minute overtime period.



Koivu went in Houston for round one and flipped a backhander over Scott, and Harding blocked Ryan Jardine’s attempt. Bouchard’s round two attempt was sticked away by Scott, and Kwiatkowski faked Harding to the ground and lifted a puck over the goalie.



Law, the Aeros’ captain, ripped a slapshot that somehow found Scott’s glove, and Cullaton hit the far post.
In round four, Foy clanked a shot off the crossbar and into the net, and Harding turned aside Kolnik.



Mark Cullen went for the clincher, and didn’t get a clean shot off as Scott poked the puck away. Weiss countered for the Rampage and his shot went right into Harding’s pads to seal the Aeros victory.



Houston finished 0-for-3 on the power play, while San Antonio went 1-for-1.



Notes:

The Aeros scratched Joey Tetarenko, Erik Reitz, Bill Kinkel, David Bararuk, Marius Holtet and Christoph Brandner. Todd Reirden missed the game after getting assessed a gross misconduct last night in Cincinnati.

San Antonio scored more than one goal for only the second time in nine games.

Houston improved to 5-3 in shootouts, while San Antonio fell to 3-5.