AEROS POSTGAME, DEC. 27
KHUDOBIN’S 39 SAVES LEAD AEROS TO 2-1 WIN OVER RAMPAGE

SAN ANTONIO --- Anton Khudobin made 39 saves, Carson McMillan registered a goal and an assist and Robbie Earl scored the shorthanded game-winner as the Houston Aeros edged the San Antonio Rampage 2-1 Monday night at the AT&T Center.

The Aeros, who have won two-in-a-row, are now within one point of fourth place Texas in the West Division standings and just six points off the lead held by the Rampage.

BOXSCORE

GAMEDAY AUDIO CLIPS

Bracken Kearns gave San Antonio a 1-0 lead with a power play tally at 4:11, just nine seconds after Earl was dispatched to the penalty box for tripping.

Houston responded quickly with Carson McMillan ringing a shot off the short side post past Rampage goalie Al Montoya at 5:29 to knot the game at 1-1.

Earl finished off an Aeros rush at 13:24 that began with McMillan feeding Cody Almond. Almond carried the puck down the right side into the offensive zone, sidestepped the Rampage defense and found Earl, who then backhanded a shot past Montoya for the eventual game-winner.

Khudobin turned aside 16 shots in the middle stanza to help the Aeros snap a four-game road-losing skid.

Houston visits Milwaukee this Wednesday (7 p.m. CST) and then travels to Rockford on Thursday for a game Thursday (6:35 CST).

The team returns home on Jan. 1 vs. San Antonio at 7:35 p.m. to host the Annual Miss Aeros Contest. Call 713-974-7825 (PUCK) for more information on Aeros tickets and other promotions.

DECIDING GOAL
Earl (13:24, 1st)

POWER PLAYS
HOU: 0/6
SA: 1/6

GOALIES
HOU: Khudobin (39/40, W)
SA: Montoya (15/17, L)

TEAM RECORDS
HOU: 18-15-1-2
SA: 22-9-1-0

AEROS STARTERS
F: Almond, DiSalvatore, Daoust
D: Prosser, Falk
G: Khudobin

AEROS SCRATCHES
Wellman, Gillies, Kalus, Peters, Broda

NEXT GAME
Dec. 29 at Milwaukee, 7:05 p.m. CST

BOMB DROPPINGS
Houston signed Sean Muncy and Aaron Lewicki to professional tryout (PTO) contracts prior to the game. Both have spent the season with the Rio Grande Valley Killer Bees of the Central Hockey League…Muncy, a Brown University grad, has 25 points in 28 games including (12+13=25)…Lewicki has 22 points in 25 games (12+10=22)…The Aeros have won two-in-a-row vs. the Rampage after dropping the first three of the season series…The Aeros won for just the second time this season when allowing the first goal (2-10-1-0)…Khudobin’s 39 saves were a personal high this season and second only to Matt Hackett’s 40 saves at OKC on Oct. 15…Khudobin snapped a personal three-game losing skid.