AEROS POSTGAME, JAN 7
HACKETT EARNS FIRST PRO SHUTOUT IN 3-0 VICTORY OVER MONSTERS

HOUSTON --- J.M. Daoust scored on a penalty shot, Robbie Earl notched a goal and an assist and Matt Hackett made 25 saves for his first pro shutout and third-straight home win as the Houston Aeros blanked the Lake Erie Monsters 3-0 Friday night in front of 5,377 fans at Toyota Center.

Daoust scored the only goal Houston needed, his sixth of the year, on a penalty shot at 13:08 of the first.

Chad Rau put the Aeros up 2-0, slipping a rebound past Monsters goalie Jason Bacashihua, at 14:21 of the second. Earl had the assist. Earl followed up 2:10 later with his team-leading 11th goal of the season.

BOXSCORE
GAMEDAY AUDIO CLIPS

The win was Houston’s second in a row and first in three tries vs. Lake Erie this season. The victory was team’s 20th at the official midway point of the 80-game American Hockey League schedule.

Coupled with an Oklahoma City loss, the triumph bumped the Aeros ahead of the Barons into sole possession of sixth place in the West Division standings. Second place San Antonio, who the Aeros face in a home-and-home series starting Saturday, sits just six points ahead in the West.

The Aeros return home on Sunday, Jan. 9 at 4:05 p.m. when they host the San Antonio Rampage at Toyota Center. Be one of the first 2,250 fans (18 & older) and have the chance to win a FREE Texas Lottery scratch off ticket. It could be YOUR lucky day!

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DECIDING GOAL
Daoust (13:08, 1st)

POWER PLAYS
HOU: 1/2
LE: 0/5

GOALIES
HOU: Hackett (25/25, W)
LE: Bacashihua (38/41, L)

TEAM RECORDS
HOU: 20-17-1-2
LE: 15-17-3-4

AEROS STARTERS
F: Gillies, Ortmeyer, Peters
D: Prosser, Falk
G: Hackett

AEROS SCRATCHES
Wellman, Kalus, Broda

NEXT GAME
Jan. 8 at San Antonio, 7:00 p.m. CST

BOMB DROPPINGS
Hackett’s shutout was the second of the season. The Aeros shut out Grand Rapids 5-0 on Nov. 19 on the road...Houston last recorded a home shutout on Feb.13, 2010 vs. Grand Rapids…Hackett made his third consecutive home start…Goalie Anton Khudobin was unavailable for the game...The Aeros dressed Dave Weninger as Hackett’s backup. Weninger is a Washington Capitals 1996 draft pick (3rd round, 74th overall) who lives in the Houston area. He played with Aeros Head Coach Mike Yeo in Wilkes-Barre/Scranton during the 1999-00 season… Daoust’s goal was his first tally since Dec. 2…Houston is 2-for-11 on penalty shots since 2005-06. The Aeros were 1-for-1 last season (Chad Rau, Feb. 21, 2010) and 0-for-3 in the preceding two seasons…Bacashihua stopped Houston’s Danny Irmen on a penalty shot on Feb. 10, 2007 at Peoria…Houston’s 18 shots in the first period tied a season-high. The Aeros also had 18 first period shots on Oct. 29 at San Antonio…David “Ogie” Ogren, known as “The World’s Fastest Golfer,” came up short in his attempt at a Guinness World Record. He hit 47 golf balls in 30 seconds, five short of the record.