Aeros continue charity work, playoff march by blanking Rampage 3-0

Published on March 26, 2004 under American Hockey League (AHL)
Houston Aeros News Release


San Antonio, TX – Mark Cullen scored the game-winner and assisted on Jeff Hoggan's fifth goal in as many games to raise another $150 for Sunshine Kids, and Johan Holmqvist made 25 saves for his career-best fourth career shutout, as Houston beat San Antonio 3-0 at SBC Center. The Aeros, who moved their unbeaten streak to three games (2-0-1-0) and have won back-to-back road games for the second time this season, finish off the home-and-home series with the Rampage Saturday at Toyota Center at 7 p.m. on Dan Cavanaugh Bobblehead Night. Fourth-place Houston now has 68 points, four better than Cincinnati, a 5-3 home victor over Chicago tonight thanks to a trio of third-period goals. San Antonio, in seventh place, fell 10 points behind the Aeros with 12 games to play.

Cullen pushed the total raised for Sunshine Kids to $700 since March 5. He has two goals and 10 assists in that span. Hoggan has a goal in five straight games, tied with Kyle Wanvig for the team and AHL season-high. Prior to this run, Hoggan had never had a goal in more than two straight games. Christoph Brandner pitched in two assists, extending his point streak to a season-best four games (2-3=5). Matt Foy tacked on an empty netter in the waning seconds.

Holmqvist, meanwhile, made 11 saves in the first period, eight in the second and six in the third for his 10th career shutout – second this season against the Rampage. Holmqvist's four this season are a career-best, one more than his 2002-03 total with Hartford and Houston.

Travis Scott turned aside 25 shots for San Antonio, which opened up a treacherous stretch of its schedule by dropping its third straight. The Rampage, which is winless in four consecutive games (0-3-1-0), tonight started a stretch of 13 games in 17 days to wrap up the regular season. San Antonio plays the next seven of those games on the road.

Wanvig appeared to get things started 5:33 into the game, just after an Aeros power play had ended. However, the goal was waved off. Wanvig took a pass and bullied his way through the defense, banging the puck off the back of the net. The goal lamp lit, but the goal was disallowed.

After Houston had three early power plays, San Antonio put the pressure on late in the period to take an 11-8 advantage in shots after 20 minutes.

Scott went post-to-post midway through the second, with Houston on the power play, to keep the game scoreless. Travis Roche wound up and faked a slapshot, instead sending a saucer pass to a streaking Marc Cavosie. The speedy centerman got wood on the pass, but Scott kept the puck out of the net.

Two minutes later, with Houston on another power play, Scott snared a backhander by Cavanaugh, who was trying to finish a nifty play by Billy Tibbetts.

Cullen's ninth of the season, with 6:03 left in the second, was the game's first goal. Jan Vodrazka, playing in his 450th professional game, kept the puck in and fired a shot from the point. Brandner tried to get the rebound past Scott. The netminder stopped that attempt, but Cullen – who moments earlier got a peck on the cheek from Wanvig on SBC Center's "Kiss Cam" – popped it by Scott to cash another $100 for Sunshine Kids.

Cullen then assisted on Hoggan's fifth in as many games, on the power play at the 4:21 mark of the third. Cullen's shot was blocked, and Hoggan rapped the rebound off the crossbar and into the net for his 19th of the season. He had six goals in his rookie campaign of 2002-03. The tally was Hoggan's seventh in nine games.

San Antonio went on the power play with 5:36 to go in an attempt to close the gap when Kevin Mitchell took a slashing penalty after Lee Goren slid behind the defense to skate in alone on Holmqvist. But Houston was able to kill off the penalty to preserve the shutout.

The Rampage had a hard time pulling Scott in the final two minutes, as Houston kept the puck deep in the San Antonio zone. Scott was finally pulled inside 40 seconds, but the forecheckers were unwavering.

Foy hit the outside of the empty net with 15 seconds left, but he found the cage with four seconds left for his 11th of the season.

Houston went 1-for-7 on the power play, while San Antonio finished 0-for-4 with the man advantage. The Aeros had allowed six power play goals in their last 17 shorthanded chances coming into the game.

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American Hockey League Stories from March 26, 2004


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