Harding, Houston ice red-hot Milwaukee

November 25, 2005 - American Hockey League (AHL)
Houston Aeros News Release


HOUSTON, Texas - Nineteen-year-old rookie Roman Voloshenko tallied a goal and an assist, linemates Kirby Law and Erik Westrum each set up two goals and Josh Harding made 33 saves for his fifth career shutout, as the Houston Aeros defeated the red-hot Milwaukee Admirals 3-0 at Toyota Center. Former Admiral Bryan Lundbohm and 20-year-old rookie Patrick O'Sullivan also scored for Houston, which moved to a West Division-best 32 points and plays host to Milwaukee Sunday for a 5:05 p.m. rematch on Family Day. The Aeros improved to 14-1-1-3 in their last 19 regular-season home games and beat Milwaukee for just the fourth time in the last 20 meetings.

Sunday, the first 3,000 fans will receive Aeros coloring books. Click here for tickets. Click here for information on the Aeros' online ticketing specials including $20 center ice and $15 corner seats for both holiday games. The Family Day package includes four seats, four gifts, 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 photograph in the penalty box. (Bring your own camera).

Pekka Rinne stopped 24 shots for Milwaukee, which had won nine of 10. The Ads are in San Antonio on Saturday before the return trip to Toyota Center on Sunday.

Harding made 12 saves in the first, 10 in the second and 11 in the third. He moved to 11-4-0 this season, and into the top five on the Aeros' all-time goalie wins list with 32, breaking a tie with Rob Dopson. Manny Fernandez and Troy Gamble are tied for third at 34. Harding has allowed only two goals in three career games versus the high-octane Admirals.

Lundbohm got things started just 1:50 into the game. He got loose behind a pair of Admiral defenders and took a pass from Law. Lundbohm turned around and made a quick forehand to backhand move, sliding the puck under Rinne for his third goal of the season.

Milwaukee got a great shot seven minutes in, but Brandon Segal pushed an open shot just wide of the near post.

Houston extended to a 2-0 lead with 7:56 left of the second, on the power play. Voloshenko sprung O'Sullivan up the right wing boards. The rookie slid around a defender and wristed a quick shot from the right circle that beat Rinne short side for his seventh goal of the season.

Voloshenko extended his point streak to six games, with nine points (4-5=9) in that span. He did not appear in any of the Aeros' recent three games in Canada.

Voloshenko nearly made it 3-0 just more than a minute later, but Rinne made a fantastic save on Voloshenko's low slot rebound attempt of a Curtis Murphy point blast.

Harding stoned Aero-killer Simon Gamache with the Ads on a five-minute power play late in the first. Gamache took a right-point feed from Sheldon Brookbank at the left doorstep, but the acrobatic Harding kicked out his right pad to stop the shot.

The Aeros knocked down the second half of the major penalty to begin the third and went up 3-0 on Voloshenko's 13th goal, on the power play, at 8:49. Westrum, at the right point, fired a long pass to Voloshenko, standing unmarked at the top of the left circle. Voloshenko set up the shot and ripped the puck high blocker side over Renne, banking off the crossbar and into the net.

After Harding lost the puck behind the net late in the second, he recovered but watched Milwaukee's Kevin Klein ring one off the post with the teams 4-on-4.

Houston got 49 seconds of a 5-on-3 in the final two minutes of the second, but Rinne and his defense were stellar.

Milwaukee's Shea Weber missed a near open net with Harding sprawled on the ground early in the third, with the Admirals swarming on the power play.

Admirals head coach Claude Noel took this game seriously, pulling Rinne with Milwaukee on a power play with 12 minutes left, but after a minute and without a goal, Noel sent Rinne back between the pipes.

Harding made a pair of dynamite saves at the midway point of the third, somehow getting a toe on Marco Rosa's rebound attempt from just outside the crease.

Houston's Joey Tetarenko delighted the home crowd with a pair of fights in the final period, including a clear-cut decision over Milwaukee toughguy Jeremy Yablonski in a battle of two of the top Mohawk hairstyles in the AHL.

Houston finished 2-for-9 on the power play, while Milwaukee went 0-for-6.



American Hockey League Stories from November 25, 2005


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