From: Ryan Stanzel
Director of Communications
Monday, November 6, 2006
713.361.7930 (Direct Line)
AEROS WEEKLY REPORT
Coming Attractions
THU, at IOW, 7 p.m.
The first-place Stars are 9-3-0-0 this season, including three wins in as many attempts versus Houston. The Aeros went 7-3-0-0 against Iowa last season, but is still looking for its first victory in the series this season. Houston went to Iowa for back-to-back games in October, losing 3-1 and 4-3. The Stars are an impressive 4-1-0-0 at Wells Fargo Arena, and they rank fifth in the AHL overall in scoring at 3.92 goals per game.
FRI, at IOW, 7 p.m.
Former Aero RW Junior Lessard is tied for third in the AHL in scoring with 17 points (8-9=17). G Tobias Stephen is 3-1-0 with a 1.51 gaa to rank third among all goalies and first among rookies in gaa.
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 G Josh Harding
Aeros G Josh Harding
11/1 vs. CHI, 34-37, L 1-3
11/3 vs. TOR, 24-26, L 1-2
11/4 at HAM, 36-38, W 3-2 (OT)
Totals – 3gp, 1-2-0, 2.28 gaa, .931 pct.
Stopped 94 of a possible 101 shots last week…Has allowed three or fewer goals in seven straight games, and two or less in five of the last seven, to lower gaa to 2.46, good for 13th in AHL…Has yielded just 14 goals in last seven games…Harding is 3-2-0 with a 1.78 gaa and a .931 save pct. in his last five games…Ranks first in games played (12), minutes (708), shots faced (356) and saves (356)…Has made 77 saves more than any other AHL goalie…Is tied for 12th in the league in save pct. at .918… Harding's 12 consecutive games played are the most for an Aeros goalie since Mike Smith's franchise record of 19, set from November 26, 2004, to January 25, 2005, while Harding was injured…Other Aeros goalies have accounted for just 21 minutes this season…The AHL record for most games played by a goalie in one season is 74 - set by Baltimore’s Mike O’Neill in 1995-96…O’Neill also made an AHL record 2,005 saves that season.
Notables –
The Aeros rank seventh in the AHL in average attendance, at 6,568 per game. Houston is up 39.2 percent over the first six games of the 2005-06 season.
Houston is tied for the league lead with seven-one goal games, going 3-3-0-1 in those contests. Each of the Aeros’ last five road games has been decided by one goal.
The Aeros are 3-1-0-1 when playing the second of back-to-back games.
Fifteen of Houston’s 32 goals have come from rookies. Two of the 32 total goals are shootout goals, so exactly half of the Aeros’ regulation goals have been scored by rookies.
The Aeros have killed off 31-of-33 shorthanded chances in the last five games. That has moved the Aeros up to sixth in the AHL on the penalty kill at 86.2 percent. Houston has been shorthanded 87 times – fifth most in the league.
Affiliation News
The National Hockey League’s Minnesota Wild split two games last week, defeating Vancouver 5-2 and losing 4-3 to Nashville…The Wild begins a five-game road trip Tuesday in San Jose…Former Aero C/LW Pierre-Marc Bouchard ranks tied for second on the Minnesota roster in scoring with 11 points (1-10=11)…Former Aero D Kurtis Foster is second among defensemen in scoring with five points (0-5=5)…All told, 11 of the 25 players to see time in a Wild sweater this season played for the Aeros at one point in their careers…C Jason Morgan remains on recall to Minnesota…Morgan has four penalty minutes and is a minus-one in three games for the Wild.
The ECHL’s Texas Wildcatters went 1-1-1 on a three-game road trip last week and now return home for four home games beginning this Friday and Saturday against South Division-leading Gwinnett…Texas is 4-2-1-0 for nine points overall, three behind the Gladiators…F Kevin Baker (9-4=13) leads the Wildcatters in scoring, just ahead of F Marco Rosa (3-8=11) and D Jean-Francois David (1-10=11)…All three players attended Aeros training camp…D Mike Madill (0-7=7) and D Paul Albers (2-3=5), both Minnesota Wild contracts, are enjoying strong rookie starts… F Mark Rooneem has two goals in six games…F Riley Emmerson has 15 PIM’s in four games… G Miroslav Kopriva is 1-1-0 with a 5.38 gaa and a .829 save pct.
The Central Hockey League’s Austin Ice Bats are 1-3-2 and in fourth place in the Southeast Division. RW Michael Tucciarone, who attended the Aeros’ training camp in September, has four points (2-2=4).
Hole sponsorships for the 12th Annual Houston Aeros Golf Classic are still available. The tournament, benefiting Houston Aeros Charities and Elves & More, is set for Tuesday, Nov. 28 at Wildcat Golf Club at 12000 Almeda. Space is going quickly, so call 713.974.PUCK today!
Aeros split two games
CHI 4, HOU 2; TOR 2, HOU 1; HOU 3, HAM 2 (SO)
Wednesday: Mark Popovic and Jordan LaVallee scored 1:16 apart late in the second period and Michael Garnett made 21 saves, as the Chicago Wolves defeated the Houston Aeros 4-2 at Toyota Center. Jared Ross and Derek MacKenzie added an insurance marker apiece in the third period for the Wolves, who improved to a perfect 5-0-0-0 on the road.
Wyatt Smith and Danny Irmen each scored a goal and Josh Harding made 34 saves for Houston.
Friday: Justin Pogge stopped 36 shots and Jeremy Williams snapped a tie midway through the second period, as the Toronto Marlies held off the Houston Aeros 2-1 at Toyota Center. Colin Murphy scored an early goal on a breakaway for Toronto, which had lost two of three.
Matt Foy scored a goal and Josh Harding made 24 saves for Houston.
Saturday: Josh Harding made 36 saves and kicked out all three shootout attempts, as the Houston Aeros knocked off the Hamilton Bulldogs 3-2 at Copps Coliseum. Rookie Ben Thomson and Joel Ward each scored in regulation for Houston, which surrendered the game’s final six power plays.
Andre Kostitsyn and Mathieu Roy provided a goal apiece and Yann Danis stopped 20 shots for Hamilton.
Aeros’ Practice schedule:
Monday – 1-3 p.m., Sugar Land
Tuesday – 10-11:30 a.m., Sugar Land
Wednesday – Travel Day
Thursday – at IOW, 7 p.m.
Friday – at IOW, 7 p.m.
Saturday – Travel Day
Sunday – TBA
Aeros non game-day practices are at Sugar Land Ice & Sports Center, the Official Training Facility of the Houston Aeros.
---HOUSTON AEROS---
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