From: Ryan Stanzel
Director of Communications
Friday, February 2, 2007
713.361.7930 (Direct Line)

Admirals 3, Aeros 2 (OT)
Official Box Score

MILWAUKEE, Wisc. – Rich Peverley scored 44 seconds into overtime after Nicolas Corbeil scored twice in a six-plus minute span of the third period, leading the Milwaukee Admirals to a 3-2 victory over the Houston Aeros in the back end of a home-and-home at Bradley Center. Karl Goehring made 23 saves for Milwaukee (24-17-3-6), which avenged yesterday’s 3-2 shootout loss in Houston and remained four points back of second-place Omaha. The Ads did it behind Corbeil, who was on the Aeros’ Opening Night roster in October 2005 but didn’t appear in a regular-season game with them.

Rookies Benoit Pouliot and Ryan Hamilton had a goal apiece and Miroslav Kopriva stopped 37 shots for the Aeros (19-22-3-5), who picked up a point to get within three points of fifth-place Peoria and within five of fourth-place Iowa. Houston, which has played six straight one-goal games, is off until Tuesday, when it hosts Omaha at 7:05 p.m. in a Maple Leaf Pub Happy Hour Game.

Pouliot got Houston on the board with his 17th goal of the season, on the power play, 7:29 into the first period. Matt Foy took a Mattias Weinhandl pass low in the left circle and rushed on net. He drew Goehring to that post, and fed a wide-open Pouliot at the right doorstep, and the rookie sniper ripped the shot into the open net.

After allowing the game’s first goal in eight straight outings, the Aeros have scored first in each of their last two games.

Three minutes later, Milwaukee’s Ramzi Abid had an open net to shoot at when Kopriva came between the circles and collided with Erik Reitz, but he hit the puck wide.

The Admirals continued swarming, and defenseman Sheldon Brookbank whacked a shot off the outside of the net in the final minutes of the first.

Each team had a lengthy 5-on-3 in the second period. Houston got 1:08 of two-man advantage time early on, and Reitz ripped a shot off the post.

Past the midway point, the Admirals enjoyed 1:03 of 5-on-3 time, but Kopriva and the Aeros’ penalty killers were strong.

After falling down, Kopriva somehow robbed Abid late in the second, with Abid taking a feed from behind the net on the left doorstep.

Milwaukee, which didn’t get a shot in the first seven minutes of the second period, fired 10 of the stanza’s last 12 shots.

Aeros veteran defenseman Curtis Murphy made a great play to break up a 2-on-1 in the opening minutes of the third period.

Corbeil’s first goal of the season evened things up 3:02 into the third, with Milwaukee on the power play. Brookbank’s left point shot got knocked down in front, and Corbeil hopped on the rebound just inside the right circle and shot it over a prone Kopriva.

Goehring stoned Bryan Lundbohm’s wraparound attempt two minutes later.

Kopriva came well out of the net again midway point, pokechecking the puck away from Kim Staal. But seconds later, Corbeil popped a rebound of a Cal O’Reilly shot by Kopriva with 9:11 gone in the third to give Milwaukee its first lead of the game.

Yesterday, the Aeros scored 36 seconds after the Admirals took their first lead in the third period, and tonight they needed just 15 ticks. Roman Voloshenko, at the edge of the left circle, flipped a shot that went off a defenseman’s leg behind the net. Hamilton, skating from behind the cage, quickly corralled the puck and put a backhander by Goehring for his fifth goal of the season.

Goehring robbed Pouliot’s 2-on-1 blast from the right side with eight minutes remaining.

Goehring got a piece of Danny Irmen’s 3-on-2 shot from between the circles with 3:45 left.

Peverley ended the game 44 seconds into overtime when he picked up a Jason Guerriero pass inside the right point, skated into the circle and fired a high shot over Kopriva’s shoulder for his team-leading 21st goal of the season.

The Aeros fell to 0-3 in overtime games, while Milwaukee is 8-3. The Admirals have played a league-high 19 extra session games.

Houston went 1-for-3 on the power play, while Milwaukee finished 1-for-4.

Notes:

Not dressing for the Aeros were Peter Olvecky, Josh Olson and Joey Tetarenko.

The Aeros are 1-16-2-1 when scoring two or fewer goals. They are 18-6-1-4 when scoring three or more.

Houston is 7-8-3-5 in one-goal games, but just 1-5-3-1 in its last 10 such games. The Aeros have only two non shootout one-goal wins, the last coming 3-2 at Iowa on November 9.

The Aeros fell to 6-2-1-2 when allowing 40 or more shots.

Houston is 0-3-2-1 in its last six road games.

The Aeros have played three straight OT/SO games for the first time this season.

Houston has at least a point in 12 of 18 games when playing the second of a back-to-back (7-6-2-3).

Counting the post-season, the Aeros are 4-10-3-0 in their last 17 trips to Bradley Center.