Ryan Stanzel
Director of Communications
Monday, October 31, 2005
713.361.7930 (Direct Line)

AEROS WEEKLY REPORT

Aeros introduce Harry Potter Four Pack – At each game leading up to the November 12 Harry Potter Glasses giveaway, the Aeros are offering fans a chance to receive an official movie poster. The first 400 fans to buy a “Harry Potter Four Pack” for any home game leading up to November 12 will receive the poster. The four pack starts at just $40 for upper end zone and can be upgraded to any level. One poster included per package purchased. Call 713.974.PUCK to order.

Coming attractions:

THU, vs. IOW, 7:05 p.m.
Bring out the Boys Night. Similar to Wednesday’s “Ladies Night”, fans can get center ice seating, $10 in Toyota Bucks and free VIP parking for only $30. That’s a $45 value! The packages can be upgraded, too, as the Aeros take on the Iowa Stars for the first time at 7:05 p.m. Click here to download an order form to fax in, or order online. Username is Happy, password is Hour.
The Iowa Stars make their first ever trip to Toyota Center as the Aeros open up a six-game homestand. Iowa features goalie Mike Smith, defenseman Patrick Traverse and forwards Junior Lessard and Marius Holtet, all of whom spent all of the 2004-05 season in Houston while the Aeros had Dallas as a partial affiliate. Iowa is off to a 4-5-0-0 start, in a three-way tie for fourth in the West Division.

FRI, vs. MTB, 7:35 p.m.
Cowbells (3K)
The Aeros face the Moose, trying to forget about the 2004-05 season series. Manitoba swept all four games, by a combined 16-4 margin. Overall, the Aeros have dropped five straight in the series by a 23-6 total score. Houston is 1-3-0-0 versus Manitoba at Toyota Center, with the lone win coming 2-1 on November 2, 2003. Manitoba is 6-3-0-0, tied for second in the North Division.

SUN, vs. MTB, 5:05 p.m.
Family Day. The Family Day package includes four seats, four gifts (either four pucks, or two mini-sticks with two koozies), free parking, $20 in Toyota Bucks AND a special post-game family activity. This package starts at just $59 and can also be upgraded. Click here to download an order form to fax in, or order online. Username is Family, password is Days. Sunday's post-game activity is a shot on goal for kids 4-14.
After taking a rare Saturday off, the Aeros again host Manitoba in game three of a six-game homestand. Houston is 35-19-10-0 all-time against the Moose, including a 18-9-5-0 home mark.

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.

Jersey auction up - The Aeros' 2004-05 road jersey auction is underway. The auction ends November 2 at 12:01 p.m. (ct).

Offense abounds - Houston won its third 6-5 game of the season Saturday in Grand Rapids, and two of those victories have come in a shootout. The Aeros have scored at least six goals in four of their first 12 games. All told in 2004-05, Houston had only four six-goal games, and it didn’t get the fourth one until April 2. A season ago, Houston was winless when allowing five goals or more (0-7-1-0). Already in 2005-06, the Aeros have three such wins (3-2-0-0), all in 6-5 games.

Shootout is no problem - Houston moved to 3-0 in shootouts Saturday, after going just 5-6 last season. Each of the Aeros’ shootout wins has come on the road, after they went 4-3 in such situations in 2004-05. Houston’s three shootout/overtime wins are the most in the AHL. C Patrick O’Sullivan is the lone Aero to score on each of his shootout attempts this season, as he is 3-for-3, with two deciding tallies. C Erik Westrum is 3-for-4, as he shot twice in one shootout.

Sharp in tight games - Houston is 5-1-1-0 in one-goal games, the most such victories in the AHL. In 2004-05, the Aeros were 16-9-6-6 in one-goal contests.

Murphy climbing charts - Aeros D Curtis Murphy garnered one assist Saturday, moving him into sole possession of eighth place on the team’s all-time list with 76. Mark Cullen, Murphy’s teammate on the 2002-03 Calder Cup winning team, is seventh with 77. Murphy moved into sole possession of 16th place on the Aeros’ all-time points list with 111. He’s two behind Kyle Wanvig for 15th.

Third period not that defensive - The Aeros have allowed 20 third-period goals. Last season, Houston held a 68-57 advantage over the final 20 minutes.

The good and the bad - Despite holding a 7-4-1-0 mark, the Aeros have been outscored 44-40 this season. Houston’s four regulation losses have been 3-2, 5-1, 6-1 and 4-0. Five of the Aeros' seven wins have come by one goal. Their five one-goal wins are an AHL-high.

Aeros in the box - Houston has 120 minor penalties - 13 more than Chicago and 23 more than any other AHL team.

Aeros drop three of four, fall into second place in West
CHI 5, HOU 1; MIL 6, HOU 1; HOU 6, GR 5 (SO); PEO 4, HOU 0
The Aeros went 1-3-0-0 last week, beating Grand Rapids 6-5 in a road shootout Saturday, but falling by four or more goals in each of their other four games.
Tuesday: Brian Maloney scored two goals and Scott Barney added a goal and an assist, as the Chicago Wolves defeated the Houston Aeros 5-1 at Toyota Center. Ramzi Abid and Kevin Doell also scored and Steve Shields turned aside 19 shots for the Wolves.
Peter Olvecky scored a goal and Josh Harding made 17 saves before leaving due to injury for the Aeros. Harding is considered day-to-day entering the week.
Friday: 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, which won its first game after having scored only seven goals in its first four games.
Miroslav Kopriva, filling in for Harding, turned away 25 shots in 42 minutes for the Aeros.
Saturday: Roman Voloshenko scored a pair of goals, and linemates Erik Westrum (1-2=3) and Kirby Law (0-3=3) each tallied three points, as the Houston Aeros defeated the Grand Rapids Griffins 6-5 in a shootout at Van Andel Arena. In his first start with Houston, Seamus Kotyk made 28 saves and stopped the AHL’s leading goal scorer, Jiri Hudler, in the final round of the shootout to secure the victory. Patrick O’Sullivan scored in regulation and got the deciding goal in the shootout, and Bryan Lundbohm also scored the Aeros, who are the only team to beat Grand Rapids (6-2-0-1) this season.
Sunday: Jason Bacashihua made 21 saves for his second straight shutout and his second blanking of Houston in as many tries, and Peter Sejna tallied two goals and an assist, as the Peoria Rivermen took over first place in the entire Western Conference with a 4-0 win over the Houston Aeros at Carver Arena. The Rivermen (8-2-0-0) avenged a 3-1 home loss to the Aeros earlier this month and have won four straight – three by shutout.

Aeros’ Practice schedule:
Monday - Travel Day
Tuesday - 10-11:30, Sugar Land
Wednesday - 10-11:30, Sugar Land
Thursday - 10-11, pre-game skate, vs. IOW 7:05
Friday - 10-11, pre-game skate, vs. MTB 7:05
Saturday - TBA
Sunday - vs. MTB 5:05


---HOUSTON AEROS, BE A FAN---