MINNEAPOLIS — Cole Reschny achieved one of his dreams Saturday in 3M Arena at Mariucci.
The UND freshman forward rifled home his first World Junior Championship goal — and it was a big one.
Reschny’s second-period goal, coupled with Michael Hage’s power-play overtime winner, helped the Canadians beat Latvia 2-1 and avoid a stunning upset in the pool play round.
“It’s everything I ever dreamed of,” Reschny said of scoring his first World Junior goal. “I guess the biggest dream is a gold medal now.”
There’s a way to go to achieve that one.
Canada, the favorite in the tournament, has been pushed in each of its first two games, but the Canadians found different ways to win.
In Friday’s opener, it was a 7-5 wild shootout victory against Czechia.
A day later, it was a low-scoring defensive battle with Latvia — one in which the Canadians were unable to score at 5-on-5.
“It was a defensive game,” Canadian coach Dale Hunter said. “They play a defensive structure. . . totally different game than the Czechs, who were up and down the ice with speed. They’re well coached. They played a 1-2-2 and stayed back and made sure we didn’t give up odd-man rushes.”
Reschny was moved into a different spot in Game 2.
He played wing on the third line against the Czechs, but centered the fourth line against Latvia. Reschny remained on the top power-play unit, which is where he scored his goal.
It came during a five-minute major on Latvia’s Martins Klaucans for a check to the head.
Penn State freshman Gavin McKenna had the puck at the top of the zone and slipped a pass to Reschny in the right circle. Reschny cut to the middle and rifled a shot inside the post on Latvian goaltender Nils Maurins.
“It was a nice play by Gav to walk off the wall and find me back,” Reschny said. “I kind of walked off, too. It was a good screen, too. I shot it low blocker and it went in. It was big. . . a big power-play goal. On a five-minute, you always want to get one.”
Latvia tied the game late when Rudolfs Berzkalns, a Boston College commit who plays for Muskegon in the United States Hockey League, scored from the top of the crease with 1:58 to go.
But Latvia’s Roberts Naudins, a Harvard commit who plays at Shattuck-St. Mary’s Prep School, flipped a puck over the glass for a delay of game penalty with 52 seconds left in the third period.
Canada took advantage on a 4-on-3 power play in overtime.
The Canadians put Reschny on the ice to win an offensive zone faceoff. He did — Reschny went 9-4 in the dot to lead Canada — and the puck moved around the zone until McKenna hit Hage for a one-timer.
“A big win for us,” said Reschny, who has two points in two World Junior games. “Big goal for Haggar there. It’s exciting.”
Michigan freshman Jack Ivankovic started in net for Canada and stopped 26 of 27 shots.
Reschny credited Latvia for its effort.
“They played a strong, solid game, the way they trap in the neutral zone, their forecheck, getting pucks out,” Reschny said. “They played hard. They’re a good team.”
Canada gets Sunday off. It plays Denmark at 7:30 p.m. Monday and Finland at 7:30 p.m. Wednesday to close pool play.
“I think (we need to) sharpen little things up,” Reschny said. “It’s the little things. . . being more dialed in the ‘D’ zone, playing faster in the neutral zone, having an anchor at net front in the ‘O’ zone. I think you see that as the tournament goes on. . . improve that. Our goal is to be at our best for the final game. Growing every game is a big thing for us.”
Schlossman has covered college hockey for the Grand Forks Herald since 2005. He has been recognized by the Associated Press Sports Editors as the top beat writer for the Herald’s circulation division four times and the North Dakota sportswriter of the year twice. He resides in Grand Forks. Reach him at bschlossman@gfherald.com.