Fireworks in the Southwest-Aeros have a win!

Yes, it's true.
The night sky somewhere over Meyerland Plaza was filled with bursting multicolored sparks.
A fitting end to a smashing (and I mean this literally) game.
It's been quite a while since the glass reverberated like shots!
Bodies slammed into boards so frequently -THUMP, THUMP, THUMP.
And the raucous fans went wild.. "hit'em, get'em"..
and so on right at my right ear. It still feels numb!
Leaving the numbers game to the experts,
here is my take on this afternoon game.

Apparently the talking to the guys by the coaches about
 'puck management',
 'the best defense is offense',
'don't let the others have any 'space', etc.

Ortmeyer, he with the 2 assists

worked. A rejuvenated team stormed out and took on arch rival Rampage.

Body checks de rigeur.

 'Humpty dumpty' falls on both sides.

Ortmeyer and McLean (chivalry is not dead yet-Mc Lean lent a helping hand up to fiormer mate)

Tangling with foes any which way.

This was a good game.

Not a great game, but both teams worked at it.

Both scored 1 goal in the First, with Hollweg on a PP, and Fredheim (Ortmeyer, Gillies) shortly after.

Hackett got his 'moxie' back, after all that words starts with a M(ontoya in the net), not with a C(limie)!  Just kidding.

Even though it was a good game, it lacked the DRAMA of last night...

no fights to speak of-  tee hee -

but for the last few minutes.

Lots of "to'ing and fro'ing" all through the 2.
with heavy work for Hackett and Montoya .

                       But then the Third...  Earl getting feisty.. jabbering?

Montoya, stunned, on knees after that Daoust, Rau Earl goal!

 No, I DON'T wanna look at that dratted Nr. 62!

Patting the Winner

The Scrappers's goal to make it 2 Aeros - 1 Rampage.

And after that it's back to
Rampage pounding Hackett - he saves.
Aeros pounding Montoya - he saves.

A stranger interlude: did the net break, did the puck break it?
What happened?
I was so intensely watching referees and others seemingly reweaving the net..

Inspection

Net fixed?

                                      And  now it's back to the game, guys!
I caught only the tail end.

Gillies with Ortmeyer (he's again much in evidence-good move to sign him) makes it 3-1 with an empty netter on a PP, yet!

Fans ecstatic, as are the Gillies huggers!

and few more pictures-enjoy

all by artandhockey's trusty little 'pic-snapper'!;-)



Hackett at work



 A dropped stick, yet a save!

Brandon Buck "I'm just protecting Matt, Sir"!

Intermission Entertainment of the cuter kind

Hackett in full form!

Oh, just look at that little puck!

Number 1 Star of the Game with big grin!

Aeros ready to play!

When it came to the anthem...

there was this one male/boy singer who was so darn off pitch, but he made up for it by singing loudly.

 The sopranos of this group sounded really very good, however!

But then the second choir presented such a variety: another patriotic song -was it America the beautiful, or what. Well, never mind they were hardly audible from a certain location.

On the other hand the cute little skaters in unison and the small drill team were rather pleasant to look at!

I truly hunger for trained opera singers' presentation of the anthem.

And more instrumental entertainment,

provided IT is audibly mike'ed!

Aeros in the Alamo City



Muncy



are skating tonight with two Forwards brought up from the Rio Grande Killer Bees.





Sean Muncy and Aaron Lewicki have both been leaders for the Bees this season.

Sean Muncy, at 6’0 and 193 pds, from Missouri, shoots left, has 25 points in 28 games including 12 goals and 13 assists. Muncy has five goals in his last five games.

Aaron Lewicki, too



Aaron Lewicki, at 6'0 and 202 pds, from Michigan, also shoots left, has 22 points in 25 games including 12 goals and 10 assists. Lewicki is riding a hot streak with eight points in his last five games (4+4 =8).

Anton Khudobin, on a hot streak, has stopped all but one shot by Kearns (Prucha, Stone) on a PP.

Aeros still 2-1 over Rampage.
McMillan with Prosser and Khudobin (!!)
and Earl, Almond with a shorthanded goal.

Montoya had an 'easier' time of it, Aeros ONLY shot half as many times,
but scored twice. ;-) 

All 3 goals came in the First Period.
Out of several PP opportunities, only the Rampage made one work.

What seems almost incredible:
the attendance at the ATT center ON A MONDAY night is over 7000,
including (to my knowledge) 2 loyal hockey fans who followed their team from Houston, taking a day off work.

Final just now Aeros 2 Rampage 1.
The three Stars: Mc Millan, Khudobin and Kearns
Go AEROS.
Vaya con Dios del Hockey
on your road to Milwaukie, Wednesday
and Rockford, Thursday and back
home on January 1. for the Bikini Night Game,
eagerly awaited by some fans ;-).