From: Ryan Stanzel
Director of Communications
Saturday, January 13, 2007
713.361.7930 (Direct Line)

Knights 5, Aeros 4 (SO)
Official Box Score

OMAHA, Neb. – Carsen Germyn scored two goals, Justin Taylor posted a goal and an assist and defenseman Tim Ramholt scored the deciding shootout goal, as the Omaha Ak-Sar-Ben Knights defeated Houston 5-4 for their fifth win over the Aeros this season in as many attempts. Kris Chucko also scored and Curtis McElhinney made 21 saves for Omaha (24-13-3-0), which has won the last six home meetings against Houston and is 6-0-0-2 all-time versus the Aeros at Omaha Civic Auditorium. The Knights improved to 4-0 in shootouts this season.

Jason Morgan scored two goals, Danny Irmen posted a goal and two assists, Mattias Weinhandl also scored and Josh Harding made 35 saves for Houston (17-18-0-5), which is 2-0-0-1 in its last three.

The Aeros finish off their three-game road trip Sunday in San Antonio at 5 p.m.

Harding made back-to-back saves 6:14 into the game, including a brilliant glove save on a rebound shot.

Germyn tallied his 11th goal of the season, at the 11:53 mark, to put Omaha on top. Harding stopped Brad Ference’s shot from the right point, but the rebound popped right to Germyn in the left circle. Germyn ripped the rebound into the cage before Harding could recover.

Taylor scored his fourth goal to push the lead to 2-0 at 5:30 of the second. He took a pass from Steve Marr, moved behind the net and slid a wraparound attempt just under Harding’s pad.

The Aeros answered back with Irmen’s shorthanded goal. After Benoit Pouliot got called for unsportsmanlike conduct for arguing a non-call on a breakaway, Bryan Lundbohm stole the puck deep in Houston territory. He led a 2-on-1 break with Peter Ratchuk, who pushed a shot just wide. But Lundbohm got the rebound and fed Irmen, who chipped the puck by McElhinney to get within 2-1 with 7:12 gone in the second. The goal was Irmen’s 11th of the season.

Houston lost rookie forward Ben Thomson to a game misconduct midway through the second, when Brandon Prust fought him to start a secondary altercation.

Morgan tallied his third goal to get the Aeros even with 7:37 remaining in the middle period. Irmen, in the right circle, centered a pass that was deflected by Morgan past McElhinney.

But Germyn’s second of the night and team-best 12th of the season put Omaha back on top with 2:17 left in the second. Leading a 2-on-1 with Andrei Taratukhin, Germyn quickly slapped a shot over Harding’s shoulder.

Chucko extended Omaha’s lead to 4-2 with 4:19 gone in the third, rebounding a Taylor miss past Harding for his eighth goal of the season.

But Houston scored twice in the final 6:23 to force overtime.

Weinhandl’s power play goal – his eighth tally in 13 games with Houston – got Houston within 4-3 with 6:23 left. Weinhandl collected Curtis Murphy’s rebound and slid it into an open net.

Morgan’s second of the night and fourth of the season evened the score with 1:55 left. McElhinney stopped Irmen’s first attempt from the left circle, and the puck went up in the air and bounced in the net off Morgan’s shoulder.

Harding rescued the Aeros in overtime, stoning Taylor’s breakaway attempt, and then Houston had to kill off an Erik Reitz hooking penalty. Reitz hooked Taylor to prevent a goal after a Ryan Stokes turnover at the blueline.

In the shootout, Germyn scored in the first round, but Weinhandl answered for Houston in round two. That was the last goal until Ramholt – in his first shootout attempt of the season – lifted a quick wrister over Harding’s shoulder. Pouliot tried to go low on McElhinney, who used his right pad to make the save and clinch the victory.

The teams went to overtime or a shootout for the ninth time in 15 all-time meetings.

Houston went 1-for-3 on the power play, while Omaha went 0-for-3.

Notes:

Not dressing for the Aeros were Josh Olson, Matt Foy and Joey Tetarenko.

Houston recalled left wing Mark Rooneem from ECHL Texas prior to the game. Rooneem played in his eighth career game with the Aeros.

The Aeros’ six-game winless slide in Omaha is their longest current streak in an opposing building.

Houston is 4-5 in shootouts. The Aeros remain the lone AHL team without a decision in overtime.

Weinhandl has six points (4-2=6) in the last three games, and a team-best 17 points (9-8=17) in 13 games since being assigned by Minnesota.

Murphy (two assists) has 13 points (2-11=13) in his last 13 games.

The Aeros are 16-6-0-4 when scoring three or more goals. They are 1-12-0-1 when scoring two or fewer.