From: Ryan Stanzel
Director of Communications
Saturday, March 31, 2007
713.361.7930 (Direct Line)

Sharks 7, Aeros 3
Official Box Score

HOUSTON, Texas – Mike Iggulden recorded a hat trick, and Brennan Evans, Torrey Mitchell and Craig Valette posted a goal and an assist apiece, as the Worcester Sharks won their seventh straight game, 7-3 over the Houston Aeros at Toyota Center. Mathieu Darche had four assists, Graham Mink also scored and Thomas Greiss made 25 saves for Worcester (37-23-3-8), which moved into third place in the Atlantic Division.

Erik Reitz, Jason Morgan and Matt Foy each scored a goal and Tony Quesada made 25 stops for Houston (25-38-3-6), which finishes its five-game homestand Tuesday at 7:05 p.m. against Peoria. It’s a Maple Leaf Pub Happy Hour Game. Call 713.974.PUCK to order.

Worcester took only 35 seconds to get things going, on Iggulden’s 25th goal of the season. He broke in on the left wing and snapped a shot off Quesada’s arm and into the net.

The Sharks extended to a 2-0 lead on Valette’s 13th goal, with 7:08 gone in the game. Valette pushed a Tomas Plihal rebound into an open net.

Worcester ended the first period with a 11-7 advantage in shots, although it was 9-1 at one point.

The Sharks began the second period with 66 seconds of a 5-on-3, and took just 23 ticks to score. Mink, in the low slot, took a pass from Darche and put it under Quesada for his 26th goal of the season.

Reitz appeared to make it 3-1 on the power play midway through the second, but his goal was waved off due to a goaltender interference call to Bryan Lundbohm. Reitz, though, got revenge with 7:33 left in the middle period. Reitz corralled a loose puck along the boards at the right point and fired a shot through a crush of bodies and by a screened Greiss for his eighth goal of the season.

But the Sharks answered right back, 23 seconds later, as Evans fired a skidding shot from the left point under Quesada for his second goal in 69 games this season.

Mitchell, in his fourth pro game, scored his first pro goal with 4:29 left, rebounding Valette’s 2-on-1 miss by Quesada.

Morgan’s 100th pro goal and 11th of the season got Houston within 5-2 with 1:11 remaining in the second. Curtis Murphy, at the right point, purposefully fired a shot off the end boards, and it caromed perfectly to Morgan at the right doorstep. Morgan chipped a shot over Greiss.

Foy got the Aeros within 5-3 with 4:50 gone in the third, with a power play goal – his team-best 27th goal of the season. Greiss stopped Murphy’s shot from the center point, but Foy’s third whack at the rebound, on a backhander, got into the net.

Iggulden scored twice in a span of 2:53 late in the game to finish off the hat trick.

Houston finished 1-for-4 on the power play, while Worcester went 1-for-5.

Notes:

Not dressing for the Aeros were Dieter Kochan, Josh Olson, Joey Tetarenko and Clayton Stoner.

Aeros equipment manager Rick Bronwell, co-founder of band “Hold the Mayo,” turned 30 today.

Houston had scored first in four of its last five games.

Murphy has a six-game point streak (2-5=7) to tie Matt Foy’s team season-high.

Houston fell to 2-6-1-0 in its last nine home games.

The Aeros haven’t held a third-period scoring advantage in 20 of their last 25 games.