By: Brendan Price

Eagles goaltender Charles-Anthony Barbeau coughed up six goals on 26 shots in last Sunday’s loss to Pueblo, an experience that stuck with and motivated the netminder.

“Barbs brought all week in practice and was determined to bounce back from a tough performance last weekend versus Pueblo,” commented Eagles head coach Steve Haddon.

Boy, did he ever. 

Barbeau pitched a 30-save shutout and four different Eagle goal scorers made the difference on Friday night as the Eagles shut down the visiting Provo Predators en route to a 4-0 victory at the Greeley Ice Haus.

Barbeau and the Eagles (5-3-0) had to contend with an early goal scoring opportunity from Provo (1-4-0); the Predators got a major power play just 5:05 into the game when defenseman Reece McDonald was given a major and game misconduct for head contact. The Predators managed a few shots but the Eagles' penalty kill unit, who was a perfect 3-for-3 on the night, stonewalled the man advantage. The Eagles converted on their own opportunity; with 2:45 left to play, forwards Quinn O’Reilly and Kelton Bradshaw roared down the ice on a 2-on-none opportunity. O’Reilly slid a cross-ice pass to Bradshaw, who roofed a wrist shot over the glove of Predators goaltender Bryson Stern to spot NoCo to a 1-0 lead.

O’Reilly figured into the Eagles’ goal-scoring in the second period as well; the Eagles power play went 1-for-5, courtesy of O’Reilly. Predators defenseman Ethan Rubin took a delay of game penalty for shooting the puck away from the referee after the whistle and the Eagles’ made Provo pay for the lapse in focus. With 8:51 remaining in the second period, center Alexandre Bedard won a clean face off back to O’Reilly, who promptly ripped a wrist shot through the five-hole to double the Eagles’ lead, 2-0.

Before the third period officially began, penalties were handed out to Provo forward Chris Castricone and Eagle forward Javen Heidergott for delay of game after the pair exchanged heated words before the puck dropped. Forward Erik Brink picked up a lob pass that bounced through the neutral zone and corralled the puck in time to fire a wrist shot over the glove of Stern and into the back of the net to extend the Eagle advantage, 3-0, with 9:28 to play in the third period. 

Provo had a late power play opportunity, but once again were unable to convert. After a timeout, the Predators pulled their goalie to jump start some late offense with 3:17 remaining. Off the ensuing faceoff, Eagle defenseman Xavier Fortin launched the puck into the empty net from his own red line to pad the scoreline and make it a 4-0 game.