Ryan StanzelDirector of Communications
Friday, October 28, 2005
713.361.7930 (Direct Line)
Admirals 6, Aeros 1 Official Box Score
MILWAUKEE, Wisc. – Kris Beech and Timofei Shishkanov each scored twice and Pekke Rinna made 26 saves, as the Milwaukee Admirals rolled to a 6-1 victory over the Houston Aeros at Bradley Center. Rick Berry – in his Milwaukee debut – and former Aero Chris Bala also scored and Kevin Klein added three assists for Milwaukee (1-3-0-1), which won its first game after having scored only seven goals in its first four games.
Miroslav Kopriva, filling in for the injured Josh Harding, turned away 25 shots in 42 minutes for the Aeros (6-3-1-0), who are winless in their last three (0-2-1-0) overall and had a four-game road winning streak snapped. Petr Taticek helped the Aeros avoid the shutout with a goal with 3:03 remaining.
Houston, which has been outscored 11-2 in its last two games, rounds out its three-game road trip Saturday in Grand Rapids and Sunday in Peoria.
Taticek’s tally snapped a streak of 203:32 without an even-strength goal, dating back to Roman Voloshenko’s second-period goal against Grand Rapids one week ago.
Taticek’s goal was Houston’s first at Bradley Center, or overall against the Admirals, in 186:28. Since beating the Ads 5-2 in the first Milwaukee meeting last season on November 13, Houston has been outscored 18-2 in five games at Bradley Center.
The Aeros are 3-14-2-0 in the last 19 meetings versus the Admirals, and 2-7-2-0 in their last 11 trips to Milwaukee. Since beating Milwaukee 7-0 at Toyota Center January 11, the Aeros are 1-5-1-0 against the Admirals, getting outscored 24-8.
A tightly-called first period saw eight total power plays – five for Houston – but neither team could break through against the other’s young netminder.
Houston’s Josh Olson deflected a Milwaukee rebound attempt up and into the protective netting with the Admirals on the power play with five minutes left in the first.
The Admirals had a great chance when Houston’s Ryan Stokes got a five-minute charging major with 1:49 left in the first. But Sheldon Brookbank came to Rinne’s aid and got a two-minute instigator penalty. But before the three-minute Milwaukee power play would commence early in the second, the Admirals picked up two more penalties. First, Beech went for hooking at 18:22, and then Libor Pivko was whistled for hooking with 2.5 seconds remaining.
Milwaukee scored three times in a span of 4:14 early in the second to take control.
Berry, obtained from the Phoenix organization earlier this week after beginning the season in San Antonio, cut in from the far point and deflected a Darren Haydar centering feed into the net just 1:26 into the second. The goal came with the teams skating 4-on-4.
The Admirals extended to a 2-0 lead only 2:16 later, on the power play. Beech broke his stick on a slapshot, and the puck bounced in the net off Aeros defenseman Curtis Murphy.
Milwaukee used a two-man advantage to power to a three-goal lead just 1:58 after Beech’s goal. With Kurtis Foster and Dustin Wood in the penalty box, Shishkanov ripped a rebound of a Klein shot past Kopriva for his second goal.
Voloshenko caused a turnover in front of the net with six minutes left in the second, but his shot clanged off the post.
Aeros winger Bill Kinkel tried to get his team going on the opening faceoff of the third, taking on big Milwaukee toughguy Jeremy Yablonski.
Instead, it was the Ads who came out fired up, as Beech fired a shot from just inside the blueline. The long shot eluded Kopriva’s blocker for Beech’s second of the game and third of the season at 1:01.
Just 43 seconds later, Klein stole the puck in front of the Houston net and fed Shishkanov, who chased Kopriva with his second of the game.
Milwaukee greeted Kotyk rudely as well. After Houston failed to score on a power play immediately following Shishkanov’s goal, Vernon Fiddler sprung Bala on the wing. Bala, who played for Houston in 2003-04, beat Kotyk for his first goal of the season.
Houston rookie Patrick O’Sullivan hit his second post of the night with 14 minutes left in the game.
Taticek poked home a centering feed from Kinkel with 3:03 left to avoid the shutout. Kinkel notched his first assist with the Aeros, as did Joel Ward.
Kotyk, recalled from ECHL Augusta on Thursday, made six saves in relief of Kopriva.
Houston finished 0-for-10 on the power play, while Milwaukee went 2-for-9.
Notes:
The Aeros scratched Josh Harding, Erik Reitz, Anders Myrvold, Adam Courchaine, Mark Rooneem and Joey Tetarenko.
Prior to the game, there was a moment of silence and video tribute for Admirals broadcaster Kyle Schultz, who passed away unexpectedly last week at the age of 41. Schultz was known for his neckties and “Old Time Hockey” expression.
Tonight marked Houston’s biggest loss since an 8-1 defeat in Manitoba last March 19.
The Aeros are winless in three straight games for the first time since an 0-2-1-0 run from March 18-20 of last season.
Kopriva had four penalty minutes – two for unsportsmanlike conduct and two for playing the puck outside the trapezoid area.
Peoria beat San Antonio 5-1 tonight, drawing the Rivermen (12 points) within one point of the first-place Aeros. Peoria has two games in hand on Houston. 
