Riga, May 28, LETA. The Latvian national hockey team lost to Norway in the fifth game of the 2021 World Championship Group B on Friday in the fifth game of Group B of the 2021 World Championship with a result of 3: 4 (2: 1, 0: 1, 1: 1, 0: 0, 0: 1).
Debutant Renārs Krastenbergs, Ronalds Ķēniņš and Kristiāns Rubīns scored the goal for the Latvian national team. The King, who scored two points, was recognized as the best player in the Latvian national team.
Due to the injury, the captain of the Latvian national team Kaspars Daugaviņš did not finish the match.
This was an important game for the Latvian national team in the fight for the quarterfinals. The Latvian national team with eight points in five games ranks fourth in subgroup B.
In the fourth minute of the game, after the Latvian error in the defense zone, the Norwegians reached 1: 0. Sondre Uldens got the puck, slipped out of the goal and threw the puck, it came to the goal from Artūrs Kuldas. In the continuation of the first half of the period, the Latvians repeatedly threatened the opponents’ goals, including the dangerous throw of the debutant and the best player of the previous fight Krastenberg.
He was the first goal scorer of the Latvian national team. In the 12th minute of the period, the King flew into the area, but the Norwegians disarmed him. True, the opponents failed to gain control of the puck and it was Krastenbergs, who threw exactly from the middle of the zone – 1: 1.
Less than six minutes before the end of the third, the King and Rodrigo Ābols slipped in two against the opponent’s goalkeeper Henrik Heukelann, but the excellent episode ended without a goal. In the last cut-off of the period, the Latvian national team did not use their first majority, but two minutes and 16 seconds before the end of the cut-off, the King closed the fast attack with an unmistakable throw between Heukelann’s bodyguards after the pass of Abol.
The next period for the hosts began with complete failure. In the second minute, Uvis Balinskis lost the puck in the minority at the opponents’ blue line, the Norwegian Ken Andre Ulimbs flew alone against Mati Kivleniek and sent the puck in the net – 2: 2.
In the 13th minute of the period, Ābols, who had previously received a heavy technique, arranged an excellent throw for himself, but the puck in his throw did not reach his goal. The opponents also had a pretty good chance – the Norwegians slipped in a threesome against one Latvian defender, but Ralfs Freibergs lay on the ice and forbade a pass to the goal.
Towards the end of the period, Mangnuss Breke Henriksen received a two-minute penalty for kicking Mikēlis Rēdlihs to the edge, but Miks Indrašis also received a penalty for rudeness, so the game continued with four players on the field. Reedlich went to the locker room after the impact, but returned to the square the following period.
In the last minute of the third, the Latvians had the opportunity to play in the majority, but at the turn of the period they failed to use it, although in one episode Mārtiņš Karsums scored dangerously. In the second minute of the third, after a positional error of the Latvian national team 3: 2 Matthias Emilio Pedesen won in favor of Norway.
In the continuation of the period after the violation of Kuld, Norway had the opportunity to play in the majority, in which it threatened the goal of the Latvian national team a couple of times. In the tenth minute after Ruby’s throw, the sharp-angle puck slipped through Heukelanna’s hand guards and reached the net – 3: 3.
Shortly after the controversial episode, Riedliham was sentenced to two minutes, and the rejection of Oskar Cibulski, who was later sentenced, was also unconvincing. Latvia withstood both minorities.
Two minutes and six seconds before the end of regular time, the Norwegians almost in two came against one Latvian defender, but the attack of the opponents failed. When the end time signal sounded, the scoreboard announced a tie of 3: 3, so the fight continued in overtime.
In the third minute of extra time after the violation against Ābola, Latvia had the opportunity to play in extra time for two minutes. Cibuļskis, Lauris Dārziņš and Roberts Bukarts threatened the opponents’ goal, but the Norwegians remained unbeaten.
The winner of the match was determined in a series of post-match throws. In its introduction, Tubias Lindstrems and Indrašis did not beat the goalkeepers, but in the continuation were Uldens and Dārziņš. The next six attempts were unsuccessful – Robert Bucharest and Krastenberg hit the pole, Ulimba and Petešana were thwarted by Kivlenieks, but in the final runs the broadcasts did not reach Matthias Tretens and Richard Buchart.
The series continued until the first error. Indras’ “bull” was neutralized by Heukelanns, but the second goal was accurate by Michael The Hague.
In subgroup B, Finland takes the first place with ten points in four games, followed by Germany and the USA with nine points. Latvia finishes the first four with eight points in five dues, but Kazakhstan, Canada and Norway continue with seven, six and five points. The tournament table closes in four games in the rest of Italy.
The Latvian national team started the championship on Friday with an unexpected victory 2: 0 over Canada, a day later in the “bulls” 2: 3 lost to Kazakhstan, in the third game 3: 0 won Italy, but on Thursday gave up 2: 4 to the US hockey players. Norway lost to Germany 1: 5, beat Italy 4: 1, conceded Finland 2: 5 and Canada 2: 4.
On Sunday, the Latvian national team will meet with Finland, but on June 1 – with Germany.
The Latvian national hockey team is conducting its 24th World Championship in the highest division.
Compared to other years, the Latvian national team had its first free practice training on March 17. At the beginning of April, 37 hockey players had their first official training before the upcoming World Championships, but on April 9 and 14, the candidates convincingly won the Latvian U-18 hockey team 6: 1 and 5: 1, which later went to the USA to play in the elite division. About a week later (April 20 and 21), a team of 26 men played two test matches in Slovakia. In the first of them, Slovakia managed to win the bulls 2: 1, but in the second overtime they lost 0: 1.
In the last test matches in mid-May, Latvia acknowledged the superiority of the Swiss national team with 0: 3 and 1: 2. After the second test match with Switzerland, Bob Hartley named the line-up for the World Cup, which included three goalkeepers, nine defenders and 16 strikers. These 28 hockey players were also entered for the championship a week ago.
The most experienced in the Latvian national team is Mikēlis Rēdlihs, for whom this is the 13th World Championship in his career. Kristaps Sotnieks has less than one tournament, but for the tenth time Latvia is represented in the elite by Kaspars Daugaviņš, Lauris Dārziņš, Andris Džeriņš and Gints Meija. Daugaviņš, Dārziņš and Rēdlihs were in the 2006 Riga Championship application.
There is only one debutant in the team – 22-year-old striker Renārs Krastenbergs, who proved himself well in the last test match of the national team.
Due to the growth of the family, the goalkeeper Elvis Merzļikins did not help the national team, the striker Rūdolfs Balcers is waiting for a new contract, who, like Zemgus Girgensons, who has not played this season, is healing the injury. The Stanley Cup is continued by the striker Teodors Bļugers, who has no place in the Latvian national team application. Gunta Galviņa, the long-time national team defender, must be left in this championship, while another player of this position, Krišjānis Rēdlihs, has finished his career in the national team.
Both teams have met 11 times in the world championships in the elite group, winning Latvia in nine. In 2018, Latvia was superior in the extension with 3: 2, but two years ago it won with 4: 1.
The World Cup usually starts in the first week of May, but this year it has been postponed to the end of the month so as not to overlap with the national championship playoffs and the NHL regular tournament.
In subgroup B, where Latvia, Canada, Finland, USA, Germany, Norway, Italy and Kazakhstan, matches take place in “Arena Riga”, but in the subgroup A national team of the Russian Olympic Committee (OKR) team, Sweden, Czech Republic, Switzerland, Slovakia, Denmark, Belarus and Great Britain spend their duels on the ice rink set up on the football field of the Olympic Sports Center.
In 2022 it is planned to host the tournament for Finland (Helsinki and Tampere), in 2023 – for Russia (St. Petersburg), in 2024 for the Czech Republic (Prague and Ostrava), and in 2025 – for Sweden and Denmark.
The 2021 World Championship in Riga will take place until June 6.
Riga has hosted the World Championships for the only time so far in 2006.
The LETA section dedicated to the hockey championship (“https://www.leta.lv/hockey”) provides the latest information not only on the progress and success of the Latvian hockey team, but also on the results of other teams and current events of the championship.
Composition of the Latvian men’s hockey team at the 2021 World Championship:
Goalkeepers: Ivars Punnenovs (Langnavas “Tigers”, Switzerland), Jānis Kalniņš (Helsinki “Jokerit”, KHL), Matīss Edmunds Kivlenieks (Cleveland “Monsters”, AHL / Columbus “Blue Jackets”, NHL).
Defenders: Jānis Jaks (Bakersfield “Condors”, AHL), Kristiāns Rubīns (Toronto “Marlies”, AHL), Kristaps Sotnieks, Gunārs Skvorcovs, Kristaps Zīle (all – Riga “Dinamo”, KHL), Oskars Cibulskis (both Balvis – Litervinov “Verva”, Czech Republic), Artūrs Kulda (Nuremberg “Ice Tigers”, Germany), Ralph Freibergs (Trinec “Ocelārži”, Czech Republic).
Forwarders: Andris Džeriņš, Lauris Dārziņš, Roberts Bukarts, Rihards Bukarts, Mārtiņš Dzierkals, Gints Meija (all – Riga “Dinamo”, KHL), Rodrigo Ābols (“Orebro”, Sweden), Ronalds Ķēniņš (“Lausanne”, Switzerland), Kaspars Daugaviņš (Moscow region “Vitjaz”, KHL), Mārtiņš Karsums (Krefeld “Pinguine”, Germany), Rihards Marenis (“Kiruna IF”, Sweden), Māris Bičevskis (“Mlada Boleslav”, Czech Republic), Oskars Batņa (Angletas) Hormadi “, France), Renar Krastenberg (Villach, Austria), Michael Redlich (Olimp” / “Venta 2002”), Miks Indrašis (Vitjaz, Moscow region, KHL).
Candidates for the Norwegian men’s hockey team for the 2021 World Cup:
Goalkeepers: Jonas Arntsen (Orebro, Sweden), Henrik Heukelann (Farjestad, Sweden), Henrik Holm (Stavenger Oilers);
Defenders: Christian Bulls (Krefeld “Pinguine”, Germany), Jones Holes (“Linkoping”, Sweden), Christian Kosastul (Stockholm AIK, Sweden), Emil Lilleberg (Sartsberg “Sparta”), Christian Estby (Stavenger’s “Oilers”), Max Krogdal (Asker “Frisk”), Ule Julian Bjergvik-Holm (Cleveland “Monsters”, AHL), Stefan Espelann (“Salzburg”, Austria), Erlen Lesunn (“Rogle”, Sweden);
Attackers: Andreas Heyer (“Stjernen”), Mangnus Breke Henriksen, Tubias Lindström, Martin Reimarks (all – “Valerenga”), Ludwig Hof, Tommy Kristiansen (both – Stavenger “Oilers”), Ken Andre Ulimbs (Düsseldorf EG, Germany) , Thomas Valkwe Ulsen (Asker “Frisk”), Eirik Salsten (“Storhamar”), Samuel Solem (Stockholm AIK, Sweden), Matthias Treteness, Sondre Ulden (both La Chaux-de-Fonds, Switzerland), Michael Hague (Stockholm “Djurgardens”, Sweden), Matthias Emilio Pedesen (Stockholm “Heat”, AHL), Matt Roseli Ulsen (Gothenburg “Frolunda Indians”, Sweden), Matisse Ulimbs (Wolfsburg “Grizzlys”, Germany).
