HOUSTON AEROS FALL 3-2 IN OVERTIME TO
SAN ANTONIO BUT CLINCH A PLAYOFF BERTH

HOUSTON, Texas – The Houston Aeros came back twice in the Friday night contest with San Antonio but fell 3-2 in overtime. Despite the loss, Houston earned a 2009 Calder Cup Playoff berth in front of 11,391 fans at Toyota Center. The Aeros (37-30-2-9) will head to San Antonio (35-37-2-4) tomorrow night and return to Houston Sunday to round out the regular season. Tickets for Sunday’s contest as well as playoff tickets are available by calling (713) 974-PUCK.

Barry Brust got the start in net for the Aeros stopping 21 of 22 shots before being replaced by Anton Khudobin late in the third period. Karl Goehring knocked aside 34 of 36 shots earning his 19th win of the season. Houston outshot the Rampage 36-30 in the contest but posted no shots during overtime. Krys Kolanos netted both Aeros goals earning an additional $2,000 for the Hockey Heals for Bo's Place program.

GAME SHEET

The first period seemed as if the playoffs had already started with the hard hits and fast paced play with the 0-0 opening frame. Houston’s Matt Kassian and Chris Frank of the Rampage dropped the gloves at 13:12 of the period to get the fans off their feet. The Aeros out-shot the rampage 11-5 and each team earned one power-play opportunity.

San Antonio got on the board first when Chad Kolarik skated down center ice deep into the Aeros zone and sent the puck across to Kevin Porter, drawing Brust over. Porter sent the puck back to Kolarik who flipped it in the wide side of the net just 2:43 into the second period. The remainder of the period was kept scoreless as the Rampage took a 1-0 lead into the second intermission.

Houston tied the contest just 1:02 into the third period when Benoit Pouliot skated the puck around a Rampage defenseman and backhanded the puck on net. The shot got past Goehring but wide of the net where Krys Kolanos picked up the puck and buried it in the open net. Brust left the net with 6:29 remaining in the contest bringing Anton Khudobin in for relief.

The Rampage took a 2-1 lead with under three minutes left on the clock when Sean Zimmerman fired a shot on net from the top of the right-wing faceoff circle. The shot snuck through traffic and passed through Khudobin’s pads. With about 100 seconds left on the clock Khudobin was pulled in favor of an extra attacker in an attempt to take the contest into overtime. Tony Hrkac sent a shot just wide of the net and bounced off back boards where Kolanos picked up the puck and dumped it in the open net.

The late goal tied the contest 2-2 forcing the overtime and ensuring the Aeros a playoff berth. The overtime decision, however, did not go in favor of the Aeros when Kolarik netted his second goal of the contest. Similar to his first goal of the game the puck was sent near the goal line on Khudobins left side and quickly passed to Kolarik on the right and dumped in at 1:46 into the extra session for a 3-2 win.

Notes:
- Aeros head coach Kevin Constantine coached in his 700th professional game tonight. He has an overall record of 343-260-9-88 in 11 seasons of coaching professional hockey including 378 games coached in the National Hockey League.
- Krys Kolanos’ goal at 1:02 in the third period snapped the Aeros scoring drought at 130:42. The scoreless period went back to Danny Irmen’s goal at 10:20 in the second period of Houston’s 3-1 loss at Peoria last Friday.