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Aeros Gameday

January 24, 2007 - American Hockey League (AHL)
Houston Aeros News Release


Ten things you need to know
- Second-year D Shawn Belle has three goals in his last two games - after posting three goals in his first 90 AHL games. Belle is the first Aeros defenseman with three goals in a two-game stretch since D Curtis Murphy did it 11/29-12/4/02. Murphy had four goals in a three-game stretch then. Sunday, Belle became the first Aeros blueliner other than Murphy to score two goals in a game since Brent Burns did it 4/15/05, against Chicago.
- Aeros RW Matt Foy notched a new career-high last night with his 16th goal of the season, bettering his total of 15 set last season. Amazingly, 15 of his 16 goals have come at Toyota Center. The other goal also came in Texas - at AT&T Center in San Antonio 12/14. Foy's last regular season goal outside of the Lone Star State came in the 2005-06 finale, 4/16 at Iowa. Foy's goal last night was also his first career shorthanded goal, but it wasn't just any SHG. Foy's extra-attacker, SHG forced OT with 15 seconds remaining.
- The Aeros, who fell 3-2 to Milwaukee in OT at Toyota Center last night, travel 1,811 miles today to Worcester to play. It's the most miles ever traveled by Houston to play on the same day it travels. The Aeros used to travel 1,793 miles to Salt Lake City to play the Utah Grizzlies - many times day of game - however they gained an hour going into Mountain Time Zone. Here, Houston loses an hour going east. The Aeros were scheduled to depart Houston for Chicago at 6 a.m., land in Hartford after 2 p.m., and then bus to Worcester for the game.
- Houston has scored a shorthanded goal in three straight games and four of its last five, including RW Matt Foy's extra attacker goal to tie things up last night late in regulation. The Aeros have nine SHG this season - tied for the fifth-most in the AHL. Worcester, though, has allowed just three SHG - third-fewest in the league.
- Tonight's game features the two AHL teams who have allowed the game's first goal the most times. Worcester has scored first just 14 times - going 8-3-0-3. The Aeros, meanwhile, are 9-4-0-3 when scoring first. Houston has allowed the game's first goal in 11 of its last 13 outings, including in each of the last six games overall and its last six road games. Houston is 2-3-1-0 in those past six games overall. The Aeros have scored first in just 16 of their 44 games (36.4 percent).
- Aeros LW Benoit Pouliot matched a career-high with three points (1-2=3) Sunday. Pouliot now has 24 points (16-8=24), tied for 23rd amongst AHL rookies.
- Houston's third-year G Josh Harding has played in all but six of the Aeros' first 44 games. Harding ranks second in the AHL in games played (38), minutes (2,270), shots faced (1,181) and saves (1,087). Harding is is tied for fourth in wins (16), is 10th in gaa (2.48) and is fifth in save pct. (.920). Harding is 17-11-3 with a 2.38 gaa and a .924 save pct. in his last 31 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. Harding is on pace for 69 this season.
- Last night, the Aeros became the last AHL team to have a game decided in OT, falling 3-2 to Milwaukee. They are 4-5 in shootouts. Worcester is 3-1 in OT and 2-6 in shootouts. The Sharks' six SOL are the most in the AHL, while the Aeros are tied for second with five.
- Aeros RW Mattias Weinhandl has a team-best 18 points (9-9=18) in 17 games since getting assigned by the Minnesota Wild last month. Weinhandl is tied for the team lead with six multiple-point games.
- Houston has scored just two even strength goals in its last four games. The Aeros scored two goals last night - a PPG by D Shawn Belle, and an extra attacker, SHG by Matt Foy. Foy's tally marked the first extra attacker goal for Houston this season.

Aeros at Sharks (First all-time meeting)
- This is the first ever meeting between the Aeros and Sharks, who began play this season.
- Houston was 3-4-1-0 in eight trips to Worcester when the city hosted the St. Louis Blues' affiliate, the IceCats.
- The Aeros were 12-8-0-0 overall against Cleveland from 2001-06, when the city was San Jose's affiliate.
- Worcester pays a return visit to Houston 3/31.

Scouting the Aeros
The sixth-place Aeros (18-20-1-5) have 42 points and are five points behind fifth-place Iowa and seven away from third-place Peoria...Houston begins a three-game Atlantic Division road trip, visiting Manchester on Friday and Hartford on Saturday to head into the All-Star Break...Team scoring leader RW Matt Foy has 32 points (16-16=32)...Next are veteran D Curtis Murphy (5-19=24), rookie LW Benoit Pouliot (16-8=24) and LW Roman Voloshenko (8-15=23)...G Josh Harding is 17-16-4 with a 2.48 gaa and a .920 save pct....D Dieter Kochan is 1-1-0 with a 5.05 gaa and a .838 save pct., and is back after missing 29 games due to injury...G Miroslav Kopriva, recalled from ECHL Texas this morning, is 0-0-1 with a 2.00 gaa and a .927 save pct.

Scouting the Sharks
Worcester (20-16-1-6), AHL affiliate of the San Jose Sharks, is in fourth place in the tightly-contested Atlantic Division, but the Sharks are just six points out of second...The Sharks are 4-1-0-1 in their last six games, including a 3-2 win at Lowell on Sunday...LW Mathieu Darche ranks tied for ninth in the AHL with 49 points (25-24=49) - 23 more than any teammate...D Garrett Stafford (6-15=21) and rookie D Dan Spang (3-18=21) pace the blueline...Rookie G Thomas Greiss is 9-6-0 with a 2.46 gaa - ranking second among AHL rookies...G Dmitri Patzold is 6-3-3 with a 3.57 gaa.

2006-07 meetings (1st of 2 meetings, First meeting at Worcester)
Tonight Houston at Worcester
March 31 Worcester at Houston

Quick Hits
- Nine of the Aeros' 18 victories have been in come-from-behind fashion, including four of their last five.
- The Aeros are 6-6-1-5 in one-goal games. But after eight of their first 12 games were decided by one goal, just 10 of Houston's last 32 contests has been decided in that fashion.
- Houston is 17-6-0-4 when scoring three goals or more, and just 1-14-1-1 when scoring two or fewer.
- The Aeros are 5-1-0-2 this season when allowing 40 or more shots.
- All but eight of Worcester's games have been decided by one or two goals.

Tuesday's game
Milwaukee's Ramzi Abid scored a power play goal 16 seconds into overtime after Houston's Matt Foy forced the extra session with a shorthanded, extra attacker goal with 15 ticks left in regulation, as the Admirals outlasted the Aeros 3-2 at Toyota Center. Karl Goehring made 33 saves, and Mikko Lehtonen and John Vigilante each scored a goal for Milwaukee. Shawn Belle scored his third goal in two games and Josh Harding made 29 stops for Houston.

Power play update
- Houston is up to 21st in the AHL with the man advantage at 15.1 percent.
- The Aeros are 17-for-77 (22.1 percent) on the power play in their last 14 games.
- Houston is 5-for-16 (31.3 percent) with the man advantage in its last three games.
- Worcester is 21st in the AHL on the penalty kill at 79.5 percent.
- The Sharks are a much improved 28-of-30 (93.3 percent) on the PK in their last five games.

Penalty kill update
- Houston is sixth in the AHL on the PK at 85.5 percent.
- Opponents are 8-for-27 (29.6 percent) with the man advantage against the Aeros in the last four games.
- Worcester is fifth in the AHL on the power play at 20.3 percent and has allowed just three SHG - third-fewest in the AHL.
- The Sharks are 4-for-21 (19.0 percent) with the man advantage in their last five games.

Aeros/Sharks connections
- Aeros D Curtis Murphy, C Bryan Lundbohm and Worcester LW Mathieu Darche were all teammates in the 2003-04 Milwaukee team that won the Calder Cup.
- Sharks D Scott Ferguson played 46 games with the Aeros in 2005-06, totaling 13 points (5-8=13) and 106 PIM's.
- Aeros D Shawn Belle and Sharks D Brad Staubitz both hail from Edmonton, Alta.
- Worcester D Patrick Traverse was an Aero in 2004-05, picking up 15 points (6-9=15).
- Sharks head coach Roy Summer played for the CHL Houston Apollos in 1979-80, recording 55 points (24g, 31a) and 246 penalty minutes in 69 games.



American Hockey League Stories from January 24, 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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