MILWAUKEE BEATS AEROS 4-1,
SERIES TIED 1-1 AS TEAMS HEAD TO HOUSTON

MILWAUKEE, Wisc. – Ryan Jones scored two goals in the Milwaukee Admirals 4-1 win over the Houston Aeros in Game 2 of the West Division Finals Saturday night at Bradley Center. The series is now tied 1-1 as the teams head to Houston for Games 3, 4 and 5 at Toyota Center. Mike Santorelli had a goal and two assists and Drew MacIntyre stopped 18-of-19 shots and improved his record to 5-1 in the post-season. Robbie Earl provided the lone goal for Houston who comes home after spending the past nine days on the road.

Tickets are available for Games 3, 4 and 5 in Houston by calling the Aeros front office at (713) 974-PUCK or online at AEROS.com. Games 3, 4 and 5 are slated for Tuesday, May 5 and Thursday, May 7 at 7:05 p.m. and Saturday, May 9 at 7:35 p.m. respectively. Special pricing is available for lower endzone seats Tuesday as the Aeros welcome members of the Houston Dynamo MLS team for Cinco de Mayo. Call the Aeros front office for more details.

GAME SHEET

The Admirals pressured Houston early in the first period, and nearly took a 1-0 lead at the 1:20 mark when Andreas Thuresson took a pass from Cal O’Reilly and snapped a shot on Aeros’ goaltender Anton Khudobin from the slot. Khudobin flashed his glove to keep the game scoreless.

The pressure in the Aeros’ zone continued and it led to the opening goal of the contest. Khudobin lost his stick after the initial rush, and Cody Franson ripped a slap shot from just inside the right circle that got past Khudobin’s blocker. It was a four-on-four goal for Franson and gave the Admirals their first lead of the series.

Houston earned a golden opportunity to tie the game when they received a five-on-three power play for 1:28 at the midpoint of the period, but the visitors couldn’t convert. Milwaukee took the 1-0 lead into the intermission by outshooting the Aeros 10-7, however Houston carried 1:27 of a power play into the second period.

The Admirals killed the remainder of the Aeros’ power play to start the second period, however Houston tallied the tying goal just past the midway point. The Aeros came in on a line rush and Tony Hrkac left a drop pass for Bryan Lunbohm who one-touched a pass to Robbie Earl as he was streaking for the net. Earl fumbled the pass, but gathered it in the corner at the goal line and flipped it on goal and the puck bounced off the skate of MacIntyre and into the back of the net. The goal marked Earl’s third of the playoffs and first of the series.

At the 14:56 mark of the second, Aeros’ forward Krys Kolanos took a penalty for high-sticking and the Admirals answered with the go-ahead goal. Former Aero Ryan Jones one-timed a pass from Cal O’Reilly that snuck between Khudobin and the near post to give the Admirals a 2-1 lead. It was a power-play goal and stopped the Aeros’ streak of 27 straight penalty kills dating back to Game 4 of the West Division Semifinals against the Peoria Rivermen. After two periods, the Admirals still hung on to a one-goal lead and held an 18-13 edge on shots.

Milwaukee opened the game up in the third period on a Mike Santorelli goal at the 2:37 mark when he jammed in a loose puck at the goal mouth. Then Ryan Jones capitalized on an Aeros’ turnover and buried a wrist shot five-hole for his second goal of the night. Khudobin was sent to the locker room in place of backup goaltender Matt Climie following Jones’ goal. It marked the first time since Game 4 of the division semifinals that Khudobin had allowed more than three goals and third time in the Aeros’ nine playoff games.