The Latvian national hockey team is fighting 2: 2 with Norway in the fifth game of the 2021 World Championship Group B after the second period.
The match is broadcast live from “Arena Riga” on Latvian Television Channel 7 (LTV7).
Debutant Renārs Krastenbergs and Ronalds Ķēniņš scored the goal for the Latvian national team.
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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 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. Redlich went to the locker room after the blow.
At the last minute of the third, Latvians were able to play in the majority, but the result remained unchanged.
The Latvian national team started the championship on Friday with a sensational victory over Canada (0: 2), a day later Kazakhstan lost 2: 3 in “bulls”, Italy won 3: 0 in the third game, and on Thursday conceded with the US hockey players 2: 4. 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 (Langnava 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 – Rīga “Dinamo”, KHL), Oskars Cibuļskis (Uvis Balinskis) – Litvínova “Verva”, Czech Republic), Artūrs Kulda (Nuremberg “Ice Tigers”, Germany), Ralf Freibergs (Trinin “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 (Vitjaz of the Moscow region, KHL), Mārtiņš Karsums (Pinguine of Krefeld, Germany), Rihards Marenis (Kiruna IF, Sweden), Māris Bičevskis (Mlada Boleslav, Czech Republic), Oskars Batņa (Angletas) Hormadi, France), Renard Krastenberg (Villach, Austria), Michael Riedlich (Olimp / Venta 2002), Mick Indras (Vitjaz, Moscow region, KHL).
Candidates for the Norwegian men’s hockey team for the 2021 World Cup:
Goalkeepers: Junass Arntsen (Orebro, Sweden), Henrik Heukelann (Farjestad, Sweden), Henrik Holm (Stavenger Oilers);
Defenders: Christian Bulls (Kreingu Pinguine, Germany), Jones Holes (Linkoping, Sweden), Christian Kosastul (Stockholm AIK, Sweden), Emil Lilleberg (Sartsberg Sparta), Christian Estby (Stavenger Oilers), Max Krogdal (Asker “Frisk”), Ule Julian Bjergvik-Holm (Cleveland “Monsters”, AHL), Stefan Espelann (“Salzburg”, Austria), Erlen Lesunn (“Rogle”, Sweden);
Attackers: Andreas Heyer (“Stjernen”), Mangnuss Breck Henriksen, Tubias Lindström, Martin Reimarks (all – “Valerenga”), Ludwig Hof, Tommy Kristiansen (both – Stavenger’s “Oilers”), Ken Andre Ulimbs (Düsseldorf EG, Germany) , Thomas Valkve Ulsen (Asker “Frisk”), Eirik Salsten (“Storhamar”), Samuel Solem (Stockholm AIK, Sweden), Matthias Treteness, Sondre Ulden (both La Chaux-de-Fonds, Switzerland), Michael Hague (Stockholm Djurgarden, Sweden), Matthias Emilio Pedesen (Stockholm Heat, AHL), Matt Roseli Ulsen (Gothenburg Frolunda Indians, Sweden), Matisse Ulimbs (Wolfsburg Grizzlys, Germany).
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