 | Mattias Weinhandl tallied four points in four games last week (Photo by Jason Villanueva) |
Monday, March 26, 2007
713.361.7930 (Direct Line)
AEROS WEEKLY REPORT
Coming Attractions – Home games Friday and Saturday. Call 1.866.GO.AEROS or visit Aeros.com for tickets. Call 713.974.PUCK to book your group outing or for more information on the Aeros' Spring Fling ticket package.
FRI, vs. PEO, 7:35 p.m.
Wildcat Extravaganza
Chances to win free rounds or a one month membership at Wildcat. Also, get free instructions from Wildcat pros!
The Aeros are 2-4-0-1 against Peoria this season, but are an unbeaten in regulation 2-0-0-1 at home versus the Rivermen. Houston earned a 4-3 shootout victory in the teams’ last meeting, March 10 at Toyota Center.
Peoria (34-28-2-5) trails fourth-place Iowa by one point for the West Division’s final playoff spot, although the Rivermen have a game in hand. Peoria is just 3-8-0-1 in its last 12 games.
SAT, vs. WOR, 7:35 p.m.
Coffee Mug Giveaway* (3K)
*Change to original promotional schedule
It’s the second and final meeting of the season between the Aeros and Sharks, who earned a 3-2 victory over Houston in Massachusetts on January 24. Former Aeros defensemen Patrick Traverse and Scott Ferguson skate for the Sharks.
Worcester (35-25-3-8) is in fourth place in the tightly-contested Atlantic Division, just a point behind third-place Providence with a game in hand, but also just two points up on fifth-place Lowell, which has a game in hand on the Sharks. The Sharks are red-hot, having won five straight and seven of eight.
All Aeros games are broadcast live on KNTH 1070-AM and through Aeros.com.. For $6, you can also watch the game live via B2 Networks. Visit Aeros.com 10 minutes prior to gametime to order.
Player of the Week RW Mattias Weinhandl
3/20 at MTB 0-1=1, E
3/21 at MTB 1-0=1, +1
3/23 vs. ROC 1-1=2, -2
3/24 vs. OMA 0-0=0, -1
Totals – 4gp, 2-2=4, -2
Totaled four points (2-2=4) in four games last week…Had at least one point in week’s first three games, including goal and assist performance Friday against Rochester.
Notables –
Aeros D Curtis Murphy made a fine return to the Aeros’ lineup Friday after missing five straight games - his first time being absent after 348 games with the Aeros, counting the regular- and post-season. Murphy scored his eighth goal of the season and the 57th of his career, tying him with 2003 Calder Cup champion teammate Kyle Wanvig for eighth on the team’s all-time list. Murphy, who added an assist Saturday, is on a season-high four-game point streak (2-2=4) is a season-high.
The six goals allowed in the second period Saturday against Omaha is an Aeros team record for a home game. Houston had yielded five twice – the last time January 6, 2006, in a 6-5 loss to Grand Rapids.
Omaha also tied the most power play goals against the Aeros in a home game. Grand Rapids scored five power play goals in the January 6, 2006, contest.
Omaha scored six unanswered goals to finish Saturday’s game, tying the most consecutive goals ever scored against the Aeros at home. It had happened two times previously, the last in a 10-1 loss to Orlando on March 2, 1996.
The Aeros allowed 10 goals in a game for just the second time in franchise history, the other being the 10-1 loss to Orlando on March 2, 1996.
Last Wednesday’s win in Manitoba was the Aeros’ first road victory when scoring two goals or fewer since January 27, 2006 at Peoria, a 2-1 win.
Affiliation News
The National Hockey League’s Minnesota Wild (45-24-7) has won nine in a row…The Wild is tied with Vancouver for the Northwest Division lead, although the Canucks have a game in hand…Minnesota is in fifth place overall in the Western Conference, a point up on Dallas and San Jose…Minnesota continues a five-game homestand this week with games Tuesday and Thursday against Calgary, before playing its final road game of the season Saturday in Colorado…The Wild then finishes up the season at home, with games April 3 and 5 versus Edmonton and April 7 against St. Louis…C Wyatt Smith has four points (1-3=4) in 58 games and is averaging 9:24 TOI…G Josh Harding is 3-0-1 with a 0.74 gaa and a .976 save pct. in five games.
The ECHL’s Texas Wildcatters are second in the South Division with 85 points (38-20-5-4) after splitting sweeping two games from then first-place Gwinnett over the weekend…The Wildcatters are a one point behind Florida, which has a game in hand, and they are two ahead of third-place Gwinnett, which also has a game in hand on the Wildcatters…Texas finishes up a six-game homestand with two crucial games against first-place Florida on Friday and Saturday, before finishing the regular season with three road games… D Mike Madill (4-38=42) and D Paul Albers (12-29=41), both Minnesota Wild contracts and ECHL All-Stars, are tied for 10th and 12th among all ECHL defensemen despite their rookie status…Among rookies, Madill is tied for 15th and Albers is 19th… F Mark Rooneem has 22 points (10-12=22)…F/D Riley Emmerson has three points (2-1=3) and 88 PIM’s…F Ben Thomson has four points (3-1=4) in four games…G Matt Yeats, who attended Aeros camp, is 29-17-5-2 with a 3.02 gaa and a .909 save pct…G Miroslav Kopriva is 9-1-0-2 with a 3.03 gaa and a .898 save pct.
The Central Hockey League’s Austin Ice Bats finished the season 21-29-14 and in fourth place in the Southeast Division.
Aeros split four games
HOU 3, MTB 1; HOU 2, MTB 0; ROC 6, HOU 4; OMA 10, HOU 2
Tuesday: Dieter Kochan made 44 saves and Bryan Lundbohm and Benoit Pouliot posted a goal and an assist apiece, as the Houston Aeros snapped a 15-game road winless streak by stunning the red-hot Manitoba Moose, 3-1 at MTS Centre. Erik Reitz added a power play goal for Houston.
Wednesday: Dieter Kochan made 21 saves for his first shutout of the season, Erik Reitz posted a goal and an assist and Mattias Weinhandl also scored, as the Houston Aeros completed a two-game sweep of North Division-leading Manitoba, 2-0 at MTS Centre.
Friday: Marek Zagrapan scored two goals and Greg Jacina netted the third period game winner, as the Rochester Americans rallied from three goals down for a 6-4 victory over the Houston Aeros at Toyota Center. Martin Lojek, Mark Mancari and David Brine also scored and Adam Dennis made 21 saves for Rochester.
Jason Morgan, Curtis Murphy, Mattias Weinhandl and Roman Voloshenko each scored and Dieter Kochan made 27 saves for Houston.
Saturday: Andre Taratukin, Carsen Germyn and Brad Ference each tallied a goal and three assists and Dustin Boyd scored two goals, as the Omaha Ak-Sar-Ben Knights used five power play goals to defeat the Houston Aeros 10-2 at Toyota Center. Tim Ramholt, Chris Lee and Steve Marr also scored for Omaha.
Joey Tetarenko notched a goal and an assist, Josh Olson and Tony Quesada made 10 stops before being replaced for Houston.
Aeros’ Practice schedule:
Monday – 1-2 p.m., Sugar Land
Tuesday – 10-11:30 a.m., Sugar Land
Wednesday – 10-11:30 a.m., Sugar Land
Thursday – 10-11:30 a.m., Sugar Land
Friday – 10:15-11 a.m., pre-game skate; vs. PEO, 7:35 p.m.
Saturday – 10:15-11 a.m., pre-game skate; vs. WOR, 7:35 p.m .
Sunday – TBA
Non game-day practices (unless specified) are at Sugar Land Ice & Sports Center, the Official Training Facility of the Houston Aeros.
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