 | Saturday marked the second-largest crowd ever to see the Aeros play at Toyota Center (Photo by Jason Villanueva) |
Monday, February 19, 2007
713.361.7930 (Direct Line)
AEROS WEEKLY REPORT
Coming Attractions – Home games Thursday, Friday, Sunday!
Click the above link or call 1.866.GO.AEROS for single-game tickets.
THU, vs. IOW, 7:05 p.m.
Maple Leaf Pub Happy Hour Game
The Maple Leaf Pub Happy Hour returns. Get a center ice ticket, $10 in Toyota Bucks and free parking – all for just $32! The package is also available in the lower end zones for $23. Call 713.974.PUCK now to order!
The Aeros and Stars have split the first six meetings this season, with Houston winning the last three – all at Wells Fargo Arena. Iowa earned a 3-1 win at Toyota Center on October 8 in the Stars’ only trip to Houston this season. The Aeros are 10-6-0-0 all-time against Iowa, including a 4-2-0-0 home mark. The teams have never gone to overtime or a shootout.
Iowa (27-24-3-1) is two points behind Peoria for fourth place in the West Division. The Stars are eight points clear of Houston, which has played the same number of games as the Stars and three more than the Rivermen. The Stars are 2-0-1-0 in their last three following a four-game losing streak. Iowa has won three straight road games.
FRI, vs. IOW, 7:35 p.m.
Logo pen giveaway (3K)
The first 3,000 fans will receive an Aeros logo pen.
The Stars make two more visits to Toyota Center – April 11 and April 13.
SUN, vs. MIL, 5:05 p.m.
Family Day
The Aeros’ popular Family Day returns. Get four tickets, four Aeros gifts, $20 in Toyota Bucks and free parking, all beginning at $67! Call 713.974.PUCK now to order!
The Aeros are 3-1-0-2 this season against the Admirals, with a 1-1-1-0 home mark. This is the team’s sixth meeting in a 36-day stretch. Each of the last four meetings between the teams has been decided by one goal – three of them coming in overtime or a shootout.
Milwaukee (28-20-4-6) is 3-1-1-0 in its last five to move into a second-place tie with Omaha, although the Knights have four games in hand. The Admirals play host to Omaha on Friday.
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 RW Mattias Weinhandl
2/17 vs. CHI 2-0=2, E
Totals – 1gp, 2-0=2, E
Scored pair of first-period goals, including game-winner, in 4-1 win over first-place CHI on Saturday…Has eight points (3-5=8) in last eight games, with just one game in that stretch without a goal…Has 26 points (12-14=26) in just 27 games since joining Aeros in mid-December, ranking sixth on roster in points…Tied for third on team with five power play goals…Aeros are 7-1-0-1 when Weinhandl scores a goal.
Notables –
The Aeros drew 12,021 fans to their Saturday game against Chicago, the second largest crowd in Toyota Center history. Houston followed that up with 4,970 on Sunday, and the Aeros now rank ninth in the 27-team AHL in average attendance with 6,121 fans per game.
Aeros D Curtis Murphy has 199 points (55-144=199) in 295 career games in Houston.
Only three AHL defenseman have more than one SHG this season. Two of them are Aeros – Erik Reitz and Curtis Murphy. The Aeros rank tied for sixth in the AHL with 11 SHG.
Eleven of RW Matt Foy’s team-leading 23 goals have come in the third period.
The Aeros have played 10 opponents in back-to-back games this season, sweeping only Iowa on November 9-10. The Stars are in town again this Thursday and Friday.
Houston has been outshot in eight straight games, including a 45-20 margin Sunday versus Chicago.
The Aeros suffered their worst shutout loss ever on Sunday, 8-0 to Chicago. Houston was blanked 7-0 twice, including at Cleveland on December 5, 2001. The Aeros were defeated 6-0 at home three times. Grand Rapids did it last on February 23, 2003, at Compaq Center.
Affiliation News
The National Hockey League’s Minnesota Wild (32-23-5) is in third place in the Northwest Division with 69 points after a 1-1-1 week…The Wild sits eighth overall in the Western Conference, eight points ahead of Edmonton, but Minnesota is just three points back of first-place Vancouverx…Minnesota hosts Dallas on Tuesday before traveling to Colorado on Thursday and then back to St. Paul to host Edmonton on Sunday…C Wyatt Smith has two assists in 42 games and is averaging 9:09 TOI.
The ECHL’s Texas Wildcatters went 2-1-1 last week and lead the American Conference with 69 points (30-14-5-4)…In the South Division, Texas leads Florida by three points, but the Everblades have four games in hand…Texas hosts Stockton Friday-Sunday before heading out on a seven-game road trip…D Mike Madill (3-32=35), and D Paul Albers(11-23=34), both Minnesota Wild contracts and ECHL All-Stars, rank tied for sixth and eighth, respectively, among all ECHL defensemen despite their rookie status…F Mark Rooneem has 16 points (7-9=16)… C Alex Leavitt has 21 points (8-13=21) in 26 games…F/D Riley Emmerson has three points (2-1=3) and 81 PIM’s… G Matt Yeats, who attended Aeros camp, is 22-15-5-2 with a 3.22 gaa and a .905 save pct.
The Central Hockey League’s Austin Ice Bats are 19-19-10 and are in third place in the Southeast Division…G Tony Quesada is 2-6-2 with a 2.72 gaa and a .917 save pct.
Aeros split two versus Chicago
HOU 4, CHI 1; CHI 8, HOU 0
Saturday: Mattias Weinhandl scored twice in the first period and Dieter Kochan finished with 34 saves, as the Houston Aeros knocked off the first-place Chicago Wolves 4-1 in front of 12,021 – the second largest crowd ever at Toyota Center. Erik Reitz and Matt Foy also scored for Houston.
Kevin Doell scored a goal and Fred Brathwaite made 24 saves for Chicago.
Sunday: Steve Martins posted a goal and three assists, Colin Stuart scored twice and Michael Garnett stopped 20 shots for his second shutout, leading the Chicago Wolves to a 8-0 rout of the Houston Aeros at Toyota Center. Brad Schell, Andre Deveaux, Darren Haydar, Nathan Oystrick and Derek MacKenzie each scored a goal, and former Aero Cory Larose notched two assists for first-place Chicago.
Dieter Kochan made five saves on eight shots before being replaced for Houston.
Aeros’ Practice schedule:
Monday – 1-2 p.m., Sugar Land
Tuesday – 10-11:30 a.m., Sugar Land
Wednesday – 10-11:30 a.m., Sugar Land
Thursday – 10:15-11 a.m., pre-game skate; vs. IOW, 7:05 p.m.
Friday – vs. IOW, 7:35 p.m.
Saturday – 1-2 p.m., Sugar Land
Sunday – vs. MIL, 5:05 p.m.
Non game-day practices (unless specified) are at Sugar Land Ice & Sports Center, the Official Training Facility of the Houston Aeros.
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