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Aeros Gameday

April 5, 2007 - American Hockey League (AHL)
Houston Aeros News Release


Ten things you need to know

Houston has just one regulation loss in nine all-time home regular season meetings with the Rivermen (7-1-0-1). Counting the playoffs, the Aeros are 9-1-0-1 at home versus Peoria.

Aeros RW Matt Foy has scored three goals in his last two games to move into sole possession of fifth place on the Aeros' all-time goal scoring list with 65. He had been tied at 62 with Brian Wiseman. Former Aeros captain Kirby Law is fourth on the ledger with 68. Friday, Foy scored the Aeros' third and fourth goals - the latter being the GWG - en route to his team-best sixth multiple-goal game of the season. The game came after Foy missed two games with a broken nose, suffered on a crushing hit by Manitoba's Mike Brown 3/21.

Aeros D Curtis Murphy has a point in six straight games (2-5=7) to tie a career-best. Murphy had four previous six-game point streaks, the last from 1/5-1/15/06. The run is one off RW Matt Foy's team-best six-game point streak, established 2/2-2/17. Murphy ranks tied for seventh among AHL defensemen in scoring with 38 points (8-30=38).

Aeros rookie D John Scott had one assist in the season's first 55 games, but posted three helpers on Friday and one on Saturday. Scott, who began the season on the blueline, was converted to forward and then switched back, is a team-best plus-seven over the last five games, having posted a positive rating in each outing but Saturday, when he was even in a 7-3 loss.

Houston veteran C Jason Morgan is set to play in his 499th career game tonight. Morgan has 277 points (93-184=277) in 498 career AHL games. Morgan has points in four of his last five games, with six points (3-3=6) in that span.

Last Friday, Aeros rookie RW Danny Irmen picked up the Aeros' 15th SHG of the season - tying the team record, set in the inaugural 1994-95 campaign. Irmen and D Erik Reitz have three SHG apiece - one off the team's individual SHG mark, set three times - most recently by Stephane Veilleux in 2003-04. C Bryan Lundbohm has a hand in six (2-4=6) of the Aeros' 15 SHG. Lundbohm, RW Joel Ward and D Curtis Murphy each have two SHG this season. This is the first time since 2000-01 that the Aeros have five players with at least two SHG.

Aeros veteran C Bryan Lundbohm established a season-high with his two-assist performance Saturday versus Worcester. Lundbohm now has three helpers in his last two contests, and five points (1-4=5) in his last six gamse. Lundbohm's 21 assists match his total from his 2005-06 campaign, and his 28 points are two behind his total from last season. Lundbohm posted career-highs in goals (11), assists (23) and points (34) in his rookie season of 2001-02 with Milwaukee.

The Aeros have not held a scoring advantage in the third period in 20 of their last 25 games. In their last 14 games, the Aeros have been outscored 19-6 in the final 20 minutes, and in their last 21 games, it has been a 29-9 deficit. Houston has been outscored 78-56 in the third period this season.

Houston is 9-13-3-6 in one-goal games, and just 3-10-3-2 in its last 18 such games. The Aeros have only two non shootout one-goal wins, the last coming 3-2 at Iowa 11/9. Only Syracuse (8-8-3-7) has fewer one-goal wins than the Aeros. Peoria is 13-9-1-4 in one-goal games.

The Aeros haven't outshot any of their last nine opponents, since holding a 29-28 edge 3/10 versus Peoria.

Rivermen at Aeros (Aeros are 9-8-0-1 all-time, Aeros are 7-1-0-1 at Houston)

The Aeros won six of 10 meetings in the 2005-06 regular season before sweeping Peoria in four games in the West Division Semifinals.

Houston earned a 6-3 win over Peoria at Toyota Center on Friday, behind two goals from RW Matt Foy and 47 saves from G Dieter Kochan.

The Aeros are 5-7-0-1 in the last 13 regular season games after winning four of the first five.

The teams finish off the season series Friday in Peoria.

Scouting the Aeros

The Aeros (25-38-3-6) finish off a five-game homestand before heading on the road for three games, beginning Friday in Peoria...Team scoring leader RW Matt Foy has 50 points (27-23=50)...Next are veteran D Curtis Murphy (8-29=37), LW Mattias Weinhandl (16-20=36), rookie LW Benoit Pouliot (19-16=35) and rookie RW Danny Irmen (17-18=35)...D Dieter Kochan is 6-14-1 with a 3.28 gaa and a .903 save pct...G Miroslav Kopriva is 2-3-1 with a 3.30 gaa and a .909 save pct. with Houston, and was recalled from ECHL Texas on Saturday...G Tony Quesada is 0-8-0 with a 5.06 gaa and a .855 save pct.

Scouting the Rivermen

Peoria (34-31-2-6), AHL affiliate of the St. Louis Blues, is six points behind fourth-place Iowa for the final playoff spot in the West Division, but with a game in hand...The Rivermen are 0-4-0-1 in their last five, and just 1-7-0-1 in their last nine...San Antonio completed a two-game sweep of the Rivermen with a 1-0 victory on Sunday...Veteran C Trent Whitfield paces the Rivermen with 72 points (31-41=72)...D Tomas Mojzis (1-20=21) and veteran D Jamie Rivers (4-15=19) lead the blueline corps...G Marek Schwarz is 17-12-0 with a 2.80 gaa and a .899 save pct....G Chris Beckford-Tseu is 12-11-4 with a 2.72 gaa and a .900 save pct.

2006-07 meetings (9th of 10 meetings, Aeros are 3-4-0-1 overall, Aeros are 3-0-0-1 at Houston)

October 28 Peoria 1 at Houston 7

December 3 Houston 1 at Peoria 4

January 4 Peoria 4 at Houston 3 (SO)

February 10 Houston 3 at Peoria 4

March 3 Houston 1 at Peoria 6

March 4 Houston 1 at Peoria 4

March 10 Peoria 3 at Houston 4 (SO)

Friday Peoria 3 at Houston 6

Tonight Peoria at Houston

Friday Houston at Peoria

Saturday's game

Mike Iggulden recorded a hat trick, Brennan Evans, Torrey Mitchell and Craig Valette posted a goal and an assist apiece, as the Worcester Sharks won their seventh straight game, 7-3 over the Houston Aeros at Toyota Center. Erik Reitz, Jason Morgan and Matt Foy each scored a goal and Tony Quesada made 25 stops for Houston.

Quick Hits

Ten of the Aeros' 25 victories have been in come-from-behind fashion. On 2/1 against Milwaukee, the Aeros trailed 2-1 with seven minutes remaining, but won 3-2 in a shootout. The Aeros have trailed in 27 of their last 31 games.

The Aeros are winless (0-25-1-4) when allowing four goals or more.

Houston is 0-3 in OT and 7-6 in shootouts. The Aeros' 13 shootouts are a league-high. Peoria is 3-2 in OT and 3-6 in shootouts.

The Aeros are 22-12-1-4 when scoring three or more times, but just 3-26-2-2 when scoring two or fewer goals.

Houston has allowed 239 goals in 72 games for a 3.32 team gaa. The Aeros are on pace to allow 266 goals - the most since yielding a franchise-record 328 in 1995-96, the only other season in team history they didn't make the playoffs.

The Aeros have scored 190 goals in 72 games for an average of 2.64 gpg. That's on pace for 211 goals scored, which would trail only the 2003-04 campaign (197) for the fewest in team history.

Worcester's Mike Iggulden tallied a hat trick Saturday, becoming the first opponent ever to score three times in a game against the Aeros twice in his career. Iggulden also posted three goals for Cleveland on 2/15/06.

Power play update

Houston is tied for 24th in the AHL with the man advantage at 14.1 percent.

The Aeros are 8-for-77 (10.4 percent) on the power play in their last 18 games, but they are 3-for-11 (27.3 percent) in the last four contests.

Peoria is eighth in the AHL on the penalty kill at 84.4 percent.

The Rivermen have allowed six goals on 28 shorthanded chances in the last five games for a 78.8 percent PK rate.

The Aeros are 9-for-43 (20.9 percent) on the power play against the Rivermen this season, scoring at least one goal in all but one meeting.

Penalty kill update

Houston is 10th in the AHL on the PK at 83.8 percent.

After killing off 19 straight shorthanded chances over a four-game stretch, the Aeros have allowed eight goals on 18 chances in the last two games for a 55.6 percent PK rate.

Peoria is ninth in the AHL on the power play at 18.0 percent.

The Rivermen are 4-for-20 (20.0 percent) with the man advantage in their last five games.

Peoria is 9-for-46 (19.6 percent) on the power play against Houston this season, including a stout 8-for-27 (29.6 percent) in the last five meetings.

Aeros/Rivermen connections

Houston LW Joey Tetarenko and Peoria RW Rocky Thompson spent much of the 2000-01 season together at AHL Louisville, and also the 2002-03 campaign with AHL San Antonio.

Aeros D Ryan Stokes spent the 2004-05 season with ECHL Pensacola, along with Peoria LW Cam Keith.

Peoria head coach Dave Baseggio played for the Aeros in 1996-97 accumulating 46 points (13-33=46) in 76 games.

A Rivermen/Longhorn connection - Peoria LW Hans Benson is the cousin of former University of Texas running back Cedric Benson, who now plays for the Chicago Bears.



American Hockey League Stories from April 5, 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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