From: Ryan Stanzel
Director of Communications
Saturday, April 2, 2005
713.361.7930 (Direct Line)

Aeros 7, Rampage 1
Official Box Score


HOUSTON, Texas – Mikko Koivu tallied a goal and two assists, Pierre-Marc Bouchard supplied three helpers and Josh Harding made 30 saves, as the Houston Aeros defeated the San Antonio Rampage 7-1 at Toyota Center. Rickard Wallin, Kirby Law, Dan Cavanaugh, David Bararuk and Marius Holtet each added goals for Houston, which won its third straight and moved to 81 points to remain in a third place tie with Cincinnati, a 3-1 home winner tonight over Chicago. Grand Rapids remained a point back in fifth place following a 4-3 shootout win over Utah.



Phil Osaer, just up from ECHL Texas, made 34 stops and Juraj Kolnik scored for San Antonio, which has lost eight of nine, scoring no more than one goal in any game in the stretch.



The Aeros, who got two-point nights from Holtet (1-1=2) and Kyle Wanvig (0-2=2), begin a five-game road trip Sunday in San Antonio at 4 p.m. Houston has outscored San Antonio 34-15 in nine meetings this season, including 23-5 at home. In the last three Toyota Center meetings, the Aeros have outscored the Rampage 17-1.



Houston didn’t allow a shot until 12 minutes elapsed in the game, and it already had a 1-0 lead. With a delayed penalty upcoming but Harding still on the ice, Bouchard was able to get a loose puck from behind the ice to Wallin at the right doorstep. Wallin pushed the puck past Osaer for his 11th goal at 5:39.



Less than a minute later, Houston’s Ryan Stokes fought Anthony Stewart after taking a high stick to the face.



With 3:38 left in the first, Koivu began his three-point night with a goal for a 2-0 Houston lead. After Harding made a dynamite save, Wanvig streaked up the left wing. He powered his way around a defender, and Osaer stopped his shot. Koivu was there to pick up the pieces from the right wing side for his 18th goal.



Houston scored four times in the second to pull away. Law’s team-best 23rd, a backhander off a nifty feed from Koivu, made it 3-0 at 1:38. Just more than five minutes later, Bouchard, behind the net, slid a pass between the circles to Cavanaugh, who went top shelf on Osaer for his 7th goal. Only 1:24 after that, at 8:10, Traverse wound up and fired from the left circle, getting a shot through traffic for his sixth goal.



Bararuk made it 6-0 Houston with a left circle blast with 19 seconds left in the second, as his shot got under Osaer.



San Antonio avoided the shutout 1:50 into the third, as Harding stopped T.J. Reynolds’ point blast, but Kolnik was there to poke in the rebound at the far post.



Houston finished things off at 9:09 of the final period, as Holtet completed his second career two-point night. Bouchard, on the left wing, left a great drop pass for Holtet between the circles, and the Norwegian winger ripped a shot by Osaer for his sixth goal.



Houston went 0-for-5 on the power play, while San Antonio finished 0-for-3.



Notes:

The Aeros scratched Joey Tetarenko, Erik Reitz, Mark Cullen, Junior Lessard, Stephane Veilleux, Todd Reirden, Christoph Brandner, Derek Boogaard, Matt Foy and John Erskine.

Houston has scored first in four straight games.

Harding won his second straight start, moving to 17-16-2.

The Rampage fell to 7-30-0-0 in games decided by two or more goals.

Travis Scott, San Antonio’s No. 1 goalie, suffered a groin injury last night, forcing Osaer’s recall.

Houston is 18-2-6-0 all-time at home in April regular-season home games.

The Aeros have scored 32 goals in their last six wins.

Houston last won three straight December 16-23.