Aeros Weekly Report - Nov. 28

AEROS WEEKLY REPORT

Coming Attractions:

WED, vs. CLE, 7:05 p.m.
Ladies Night/Happy Hour
Buy Tickets
It’s also an Aeros Ladies Night/Happy Hour. For $30, receive a $28 center ice ticket, $10 in Toyota Bucks and free VIP Parking. That’s a $45 value, all for just $30! Log on to www.aeros.com/themenights to order. Username is Happy, password is Hour.

Cleveland enters the week tied for fifth place in the North Division with 17 points (8-12-1-0). The Barons have been outscored by a 77-58 margin on the season. Cleveland is just 1-5-1-0 in its last seven games and was swept in two games at home by Manitoba over the weekend. The Barons have won three of the four meetings against Houston in each of the last two seasons. The Aeros won five straight versus the Barons January 10, 2002-January 10, 2003, but they are 2-7-0 since then.

SUN, vs. CLE, 5:05 p.m.
Family Day
Buy Tickets
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.
Did you know? Cleveland head coach Roy Sommer played for the CHL Houston Apollos in 1979-80, recording 55 points (24g, 31a) and 246 penalty minutes in 69 games.

All Aeros games are broadcast live on KNTH 1070-AM and through aeros.com. For $6, you can also watch the game live via B2 Networks. Visit aeros.com 10 minutes prior to gametime to order.

Golf Tournament is next Tuesday - The 11th Annual Houston Aeros Golf Classic is next Tuesday, Dec. 6 at Wildcat Golf Club. Foursomes are just $800, and hole sponsorships are $500. Team with an Aeros player to benefit Houston area children. Tee time is 12 p.m. Please call Houston Aeros Charities at 713.974.PUCK for more information or to sign up, today!

"Skate with the Pros" Friday night in Sugar Land - Two Aeros players (stay tuned to aeros.com to see which players) will appear at Sugar Land Ice & Sports Center on Friday from 6:30-8 p.m. as part of "Skate with the Pros". Sugar Land Ice & Sports Center is the Official Training Facility of the Houston Aeros.

Toy Drive carries on - This week continues the Aeros’ involvement in the KHOU-TV Channel 11/Salvation Army Spirit of Texas Toy Drive. Fans bringing in a new, unwrapped toy (or other item, click here for suggested gift list) will receive a voucher for a $5 off discount for two center ice or corner seats for any December home game. Toys can be dropped off inside the LaBranch entrance, or at the Booster Club table near the Bell entrance of Toyota Center.

"The Hangar" is open for the holidays - "The Hangar", the Aeros’ official merchandise shop, has re-opened for the holiday season. The Hangar is open in The Park Shops, next to Otto’s, from 11 a.m.-2 p.m. weekdays, excluding gamedays. Get your favorite Aeros fan some great Aeros gear today!

Jr. Reporter goes 1-on-1 with Clayton Stoner - Jr. Reporter Michael McHugh recently sat down with Aeros rookie defenseman Clayton Stoner for some hard-hitting questions.

Notables -

Houston has just two regulation losses at Toyota Center in the last 20 regular-season games (14-2-1-3), and is 22-4-1-3 in the last 30 regular-season games at Toyota Center.

Houston is 8-3-0-1 in November, tying last season’s team (8-6-0-1) for the most wins in November in team history. Wednesday against Cleveland is the Aeros’ last November game.

Milwaukee G Brian Finley improved to 16-6-1 with five shutouts against the Aeros in his career Sunday, and four of his five shutouts have come over the past two seasons. His shutout sequence versus the Aeros is up to 189:31. Finley last allowed a goal to the Aeros last February 10, when Kirby Law scored in the third period of a 2-1 Admirals overtime win in Milwaukee. No other goalie has more than three career shutouts against Houston.

Houston has seven regulation losses, and in six of them the Aeros have yielded two or more third-period goals. The Aeros have allowed 31 third-period goals this season.

Aeros C Bryan Lundbohm enters the week with 99 AHL points (36-63=99) in 260 career games. RW Kirby Law, meanwhile, has 199 assists in 567 pro games.

The Aeros are a perfect 36-of-36 on the penalty kill in their last seven home games. The last team to score a power play goal against the Aeros at Toyota Center was Iowa on November 3.

Houston is 14-2-0-1 when C Erik Westrum, the league’s leading scorer finds the scoresheet in some way, but 1-5-1-0 when he doesn’t record at least one point.

RW Roman Voloshenko ranks fifth among AHL rookies in scoring with 20 points (13-7=20) while C Patrick O’Sullivan is tied for seventh with 16 points (7-9=16). The Aeros are the lone team with two players in the top 10 of rookie scoring.

Player of the Week G Josh Harding
11/25 vs. MIL 33-33, W 3-0 11/27 vs. MIL 33-36, L 0-3
Totals 2gp, 1-1-0, 1.50 gaa, .958 pct.
Went 1-1-0 with a 1.50 gaa and a .957 save pct. against a Milwaukee team that has won 11 of 13...Stopped 33 shots Friday for fifth career shutout and first of the season in a 3-0 decision over the Ads at Toyota Center, his second home shutout of Milwaukee in as many tries...Made 36 saves Sunday but fell 3-0 to the Admirals as Brian Finley stopped all 39 Houston shots.

Aeros split with Admirals, lead West by eight points
HOU 3, MIL 0; MIL 3, HOU 0

The Aeros split two home games with Milwaukee last week and enter this week at 15-7-1-1 for 32 points - eight better than second-place Omaha. Only Wilkes-Barre/Scranton has a bigger division lead at nine points.

Friday: 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.
Pekka Rinne stopped 24 shots for Milwaukee.

Sunday: Brian Finley made 39 saves for his third straight shutout of Houston and fifth against the Aeros overall, and Timofei Shishkanov scored two goals, as Milwaukee defeated Houston 3-0 at Toyota Center for its 11th win in 13 games. Greg Classen also scored for Milwaukee, which scored twice in the third period and went 4-1-0-0 in a five-game, six-day stretch of games against Houston and San Antonio.
Harding stopped 33 shots for the Aeros, who fell to 8-2-1-1 at home this season.

Aeros’ Practice schedule:
Monday - 1-2, Sugar Land
Tuesday - 10-11:30, Sugar Land
Wednesday - 10-11, pre-game skate, vs. CLE 7:05 p.m.
Thursday - 1-2, Sugar Land
Friday - 10-11:30, Sugar Land
Saturday - TBA, Sugar Land
Sunday - vs. CLE 5:05 p.m.

---HOUSTON AEROS, BE A FAN---