Heat top Aeros in shootout, 3-2

ABBOTSFORD 3, HOUSTON 2 (SO)
Abbotsford rookie Carter Bancks sent the game to overtime with a goal at 19:26 of the third period, and the Heat went on to post a 3-2 shootout win over visiting Houston on Monday at the Entertainment & Sports Centre.

The Aeros grabbed a 2-0 lead by the game’s midpoint on power play goals by Cody Almond in the first period and Jean-Michel Daoust in the middle frame. Jon DiSalvatore and defenseman Marco Scandella assisted on both markers.

Greg Nemisz pulled Abbotsford within one with a man-advantage strike of his own just 2:29 after Daoust’s goal, and it remained a 2-1 until Bancks’s late third-period heroics. Nemisz and Matt Keith earned helpers on Bancks’s third goal of the season.

After a scoreless overtime, Gaelan Patterson and Jon Rheault converted for the Heat while Houston went 0-for-4 against Abbotsford goaltender Leland Irving (8-3-0), who finished with 26 saves through the first 65 minutes.

Rookie goaltender Matt Hackett stopped 31 of 33 shots for the Aeros, who still extended their points streak to five games (4-0-0-1).

The teams will play again on Tuesday night.