GAMESHEET

The first period was filled with hits from both teams in an effort to control the puck but neither team posted many shots on net. Houston outshot the Chops 9-7 in the period although the team was unable to score on a five-on-three power play that lasted 1:46. The Aeros finished 0-2 on the power play and killed the Chops’ lone attempt on the man-advantage.

Aeros defenseman Kurtis Foster scored his first goal with the team in his last game with the Aeros. Foster, on a conditioning assignment from the Minnesota Wild, took a cross-ice pass from Jesse Schultz and blasted a shot short-side over the shoulder of Dave LeNeveu. The goal gave the Aeros a 1-0 lead, but the lead lasted less than five minutes as Drew Miller tied the game at one at the 11:36 mark. Adrian Veideman took a shot from inside the right faceoff circle and Aeros’ goaltender Nolan Schaefer attempted to squeeze the puck between his left arm and his body, but it trickled out and Miller banged the puck into the open net.

At 3:22 into the final frame, Schaefer made a diving save on a shot from Petteri Wirtanen that snuck between two Aeros’ defenders, preventing the Chops from taking a third-period lead. Both teams had a number of good opportunities to end the game in regulation time but goaltending and defense kept the game tied at one apiece, forcing the overtime.

The extra five minutes of play was kept scoreless with each team putting two shots on net but the contest had to be decided in a shootout. Houston’s second shooter, Corey Locke, was the recorded the first goal when he flicked the puck 5-hole between the leg pads of Dave LeNeveu, who stopped 28 of 29 in regulation. Iowa, who shot first in each round, didn’t net the puck until their fifth and final shooter who beat Schaefer when he snuck the puck past his left leg pad. Schultz sealed the game for the Aeros when he snapped the puck top shelf, over the glove hand of the Chops’ netminder.

Notes:
- The Aeros and Chops skated to a scoreless first period. It was the 12th time this season Houston had done so and they are now 1-10-1-0 when scoreless after the first period.
- Aeros’ goaltender Nolan Schaefer earned his 100th professional victory. Schaefer has a pro record of 100-97-14 with a 38-27-5 record in Houston. The win was his 19th of the season, tying his personal best for wins in a season, a record initially set last season.
- Aeros right wing Jesse Schultz extended his point streak to a career-high six games with an assist on Kurtis Foster’s second period goal. Schultz has eight points (6-2=8) in the six games, however his career-high goal-scoring streak came to an end at five games.
- Defenseman Kurtis Foster finished his two-week conditioning stint with a goal for Houston. He finished with a four-game scoring streak in which he scored all of his six points (1-5=6) in his stretch with the Aeros. The Aeros finished 6-0 during Foster’s time with the club.

GAMESHEET

Houston pressured the Chops early in the first period but the home team couldn’t get the first goal. Aeros’ right wing Jesse Schultz took a penalty at the 7:34 mark giving Iowa the first power play of the game, but the Chops didn’t capitalize and Houston earned their first man-advantage with four seconds left in the Chops power play. After Houston couldn’t convert on their first opportunity, they had a second chance directly after but finished the period 0-for-2 on power-play chances.

The Aeros tied the game over halfway into the second period in the team’s third power-play chance of the night, their seventh straight game with a power-play goal. John Lammers set the play up with a pass to Corey Locke near the right wing faceoff circle. Locke danced with the puck before finding an open Matt Beaudoin who blindly back handed the puck top shelf over glove of Levasseur from directly in front of the crease.

Houston took a 2-1 second-period lead only 3:27 after the Aeros’ first goal. Krys Kolanos took a cross-ice pass from Locke and snapped the shot from the top of the left-wing faceoff circle into the net. Iowa tied the contest only 54 seconds later when Eric Boguniecki tipped a shot by Charlie Kronschnabel past Schaefer to tie the contest at two apiece before the second intermission.

Iowa’s Matt Beleskey was called for a penalty late in the second period, giving Houston another power-play into the third period. The Aeros took advantage as Schultz shot the puck from the side of the net which deflected off the inside of Levasseur’s leg pad and in at 1:25 into the period. The goal extended Schultz’s goal-scoring streak to five games with six markers in that span, a season high for the Aeros and career high. Iowa tied the contest at three goals apiece when Drew Miller tallied his 20th goal of the season, an even-strength marker, at 6:14 into the final frame.

Just past the 15 minute mark of the third period John Lammers netted the Aeros’ fourth power-play goal of the night for a late 4-3 lead. The goal, coupled with his assist earlier in the contest, gave Lammers his first multiple-point game and second game-winning goal of the season. Iowa’s Levasseur was pulled with just over a minute to play in favor of the extra attacker in an attempt to tie the game against but Houston’s defense held on for the 4-3 victory.

Notes:
- Houston’s power play against the Chops this year is 14 for 28, a 50% conversion rate. They have had multiple power-play goals in four of the five games this season and are eight for eight in the last two games vs. Iowa.
- The Aeros now have two 20-goal scorers on the team after Krys Kolanos’ second period goal. Kolanos and Corey Locke each have 20 goals on the season. Houston had two 20-goal scorers last season, Joel Ward (21) and Ryan Hamilton (20).
- Corey Locke’s two assists extended his point streak to three games having scored six points (1-5=6) in the streak.
- Houston goaltender Nolan Schaefer earned his 99th professional win, 94 in the American Hockey League, five in the National Hockey League.
- Six Aeros extended point streaks: Jesse Schultz has a five-game goal streak with seven points (6-1=7), Benoit Pouliot extended his point streak to four with five points (1-4=5), Corey Locke extended his point streak to three games with six points (1-5=6), Kurtis Foster has a three game point streak with five assists, Krys Kolanos extended his streak three games with five points (1-4=5), Marco Rosa extended his streak to three games and three points (2-1=3).

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