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Aeros Gameday

January 6, 2007 - American Hockey League (AHL)
Houston Aeros News Release


Nine things you need to know

Aeros D Curtis Murphy has a goal and four assists in a three-game point streak, giving him nine points (2-7=9) over his last nine games to move to 20 points (5-15=20) this season - moving him into a tie for seventh among AHL defensemen. This comes after a cold spell where Murphy was held pointless in six games - a season-high.

Murphy isn't the only Aeros blueliner who is red hot. In 15 games since 11/19, D Erik Reitz has posted 11 points (2-9=11). He had just a goal and an assist in the season's first 16 games. Reitz' current run leaves him with 98 career points (21-77=98) in 271 games with the Aeros. With two more points, Reitz will become just the fifth defenseman in team history with 100 points.

Aeros D Ryan Stokes has notched an assist in each of the last two games - the first time in his two-plus season career that he has posted points in back-to-back games. Stokes has a new career-best seven points (2-5=7) this season. He had five points (2-3=5) in 75 games last season. Stokes is also a plus-three over the last two games, and a plus-seven in the last eight games to move to plus-three - best among Aeros blueliners. The Aeros are 6-0-0-1 when Stokes records a point.

Aeros RW Matt Foy became the 15th player in franchise history with 200 games played Wednesday. Foy has posted 117 points (53-64=117) with the Aeros, ranking him 16th all-time in team history in points, 13th in goals and 21st in assists. Foy's 15 goals have tied his career-high in just 30 games. Foy posted 15 goals in 51 games last season. Fourteen of Foy's 15 goals this season have come at Toyota Center. His other goal also came in Texas - at AT&T Center in San Antonio 12/14.

Houston LW Roman Voloshenko has points in each of his last five games, with three goals and two assists in that span. Voloshenko potted a big goal Thursday, forcing OT with a goal in the third period against Peoria. This is Voloshenko's longest point streak since a seven-game run 11/30-12/17/05 - just before he left for the World Junior Championships. In his last seven games, Voloshenko has seven points (4-4=8).

Aeros RW Mattias Weinhandl has a team-best 11 points (5-6=11) in just nine games since getting assigned by the Minnesota Wild last month. Weinhandl has also spurned a resurgence in linemate LW/C Peter Olvecky, who has all three of his goals in the last eight games - all since Weinhandl was put on his line.

The Aeros have been falling behind early lately, having been outscored 9-2 in the first period of their last five games. The Aeros, who have scored first just once in that span, have faced a 2-0 deficit in four of their last seven games.

Aeros third-year G Josh Harding has played in all but four of the Aeros' first 36 games, although he has missed three of the last four. Harding ranks second in the AHL in games (32), minutes (1,846), shots faced (953) and saves (876). Harding is ninth in gaa (2.50) and is fourth in save pct. (.919). Harding is 14-8-2 with a 2.37 gaa and a .924 save pct. in his last 24 decisions since starting the season 0-5-1. The Aeros' record for most games played by a goalie in one season is 72 - set by Frederic Chabot in 1996-97 in an 82-game season. The AHL record is 74 - set by Baltimore's Mike O'Neill in 1995-96. O'Neill also made an AHL-record 2,005 saves that season.

One of the more popular faces in Aeros franchise history returns tonight on the opposing bench. Former Aeros D Trent Cull is an assistant coach for the Crunch. Cull played parts of four seasons for Houston from 1997-2002, and was part of the team's 1999 Turner Cup championship team. Cull is the Aeros' all-time penalty minute leader with 724, and he still ranks eighth on the team's all-time games played list with 253.

Crunch at Aeros (Aeros are 3-1-0-0 all-time, Aeros are 2-0-0-0 at Houston)

The teams haven't met in more than two seasons, since a 6-3 Aeros win at Syracuse 11/20/04. That came 13 days after a 3-0 home win over the Crunch.

Houston is 3-1-0-0 all-time versus the Crunch, including two home wins by a combined 7-1 score.

The Aeros' lone loss was in the first ever meeting, 11/28/03. The Aeros sprinted to a 4-0 lead but lost 5-4 in New York.

Houston makes a return trip to Syracuse 3/17.

Scouting the Aeros

The sixth-place Aeros (15-17-0-4) have 34 points and are four points behind fifth-place Milwaukee in the West Division...Houston is in a stretch where it plays eight games in a 12-day stretch...The Aeros play host to San Antonio tomorrow to end the grueling run...Team scoring leader RW Matt Foy has 28 points (15-13=28)...Next is veteran D Curtis Murphy (5-15=20) and rookie LW Benoit Pouliot (13-6=19)...G Josh Harding is 14-13-3 with a 2.50 gaa and a .919 save pct....Rookie G Tony Quesada, a Holy Cross product, is 0-4-0 with a 4.62 gaa and a .881 save pct...G Miroslav Kopriva was reassigned to ECHL Texas this morning.

Scouting the Crunch

Syracuse (11-21-1-3), AHL affiliate of the Columbus Blue Jackets, is 1-0-0-1 in its last two games after falling 3-2 in a shootout San Antonio on Thursday...That game, which moved the Crunch to 2-1-0-1 on a six-game road trip, came two days after pasting Toronto 8-1 in Ontario...Syracuse's leading scorer, RW Joe Motzko, has 34 points (11-23=34) but is currently on recall to the Blue Jackets...C Geoff Platt paces active players with 27 points (15-12=27)...D Filip Novak, who used to play down I-10 in San Antonio, leads the blueline with 18 points (2-16=18)...Rookie G Tomas Popperle is 8-11-2 with a 3.22 gaa, while fellow rookie G Dan LaCosta is 1-1-0 with a 2.99 gaa.

2006-07 meetings (1st of 2 meetings)

Tonight Syracuse at Houston

March 17 Houston at Syracuse

Thursday's game

Marek Schwarz made 35 saves and was perfect on four shootout attempts, as the Peoria Rivermen outlasted the Houston Aeros 4-3 at Toyota Center. Michal Birner, D.J. King and Charles Linglet scored in regulation, and Peter Sejna and Jon DiSalvatore netted shootout goals for Peoria. Danny Irmen posted a goal and an assist, Peter Ratchuk and Roman Voloshenko also scored and Miroslav Kopriva made 28 saves for Houston.

Quick Hits

Seven of the Aeros' 15 victories have been in come-from-behind fashion.

The Aeros are 6-5-0-4 in one-goal games. But after eight of their first 12 games were decided by one goal, just seven of Houston's last 24 contests has been decided in that fashion.

The Aeros are 14-6-0-3 when scoring three goals or more, and just 1-11-0-1 when scoring two or fewer.

The Aeros are the lone AHL team to not have a game decided in OT. Houston, however, is 4-4 in shootouts.

Syracuse is 0-5-0-1 against the West Division this season.

The Crunch leads the AHL in PIM/game with 26.0.

Syracuse has just one win in 10 one-goal games (1-5-1-3).

Power play update

Houston is 26th in the AHL with the man advantage at 13.4 percent.

The Aeros are 8-for-42 (19.4 percent) on the power play in their last six games.

Houston has allowed a SHG in each of its last two games.

Syracuse is 15th in the AHL on the penalty kill at 82.0 percent.

The Crunch is 22-for-28 (78.6 percent) on the PK in the last five games.

Penalty kill update

Houston is third in the AHL on the PK at 87.4 percent.

Opponents are 4-for-50 (8.0 percent) on the power play in the last nine games, and 0-for-14 in the last two home games.

Syracuse is tied for 12th in the AHL on the power play at 17.5 percent.

The Crunch is 8-for-37 (21.6 percent) with the man advantage in the last five games.

Aeros/Rivermen connections

Crunch D Andrew Canzanello, Syracuse C Trevor Frischmon and Aeros assistant coach Matt Shaw are all alumni of Colorado College.

Syracuse C Trevor Frischmon and Aeros RW Danny Irmen were teammates in 2001-02 with USHL Lincoln.

Aeros C Bryan Lundbohm and Syracuse D Tomas Kloucek were teammates in Milwaukee in 2002-03.

Aeros RW Joey Tetarenko, Houston LW Josh Olson and Syracuse D Filip Novak were teammates in San Antonio in 2002-03

Houston D Curtis Murphy and Syracuse C Ben Simon won the IHL's Turner Cup with Orlando in 2000-01. They were also teammates in Milwaukee in 2003-04.

Aeros C Jason Morgan and Syracuse LW Darcy Verot were teammates in Saint John during the 2002-03 season.



American Hockey League Stories from January 6, 2007


The opinions expressed in this release are those of the organization issuing it, and do not necessarily reflect the thoughts or opinions of OurSports Central or its staff.

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