Before going to Riga, the Italian national team played three test games, all of them losing, moreover, the Italians did not score more than one goal in any of the matches.
First the Italians conceded 1: 4 to the German DEL League team Augsburg “Panther”, the next game 1: 4 lost to another DEL unit in Berlin “Eisbaren”, but in the last test with the same result acknowledged the superiority of the Austrian team.
The last time Latvia – Italy met this summer at the World Championships in Riga, when the Latvian team, which was still led by Bob Hartley, celebrated the victory with 3: 0.
Today, Vītoliņš will make his debut at the helm of the Latvian national team in the official game.
In preparation for the qualifying tournament for the Olympic Games, the Latvian team met twice with the Norwegian national team in Riga. In the first match, the Latvians won 4: 2, but in the second game, the Norwegian hockey players were 4: 1.
When choosing the composition of Latvia, Vītoliņš last defeated goalkeeper Rūdolfs Lazdiņš, defenders Artūrs Kuldas, Nikita Matejko and Kristaps Zīlis and attackers Eduards Tralmak, Oskars Batņš, Haralds Egls and Rihards Marens.
This year, Batņa, Marenis and Zīle represented the Latvian national team at the world championship held in Riga.
Goalkeepers Mareks Mitens and Artūrs Šilovs, defenders Kārlis Čukste and Sandis Smons and striker Deniss Smirnovs will experience their first big tournament in the ranks of the Latvian national team.
Group E games of the qualification tournament will take place in “Arena Riga” from August 26 to 29. The national teams of Latvia, France, Italy and Hungary will compete for the only ticket to Beijing.
List of Latvian national hockey team players for the 2022 Beijing Olympic Games qualifying tournament
Goalkeepers: Ivars Punnenovs, Artūrs Šilovs, Mareks Mitens.
Guards: Ralfs Freibergs, Oskars Cibulskis, Kristiāns Rubīns, Sandis Smons, Kristaps Sotnieks, Uvis Balinskis, Kārlis Čukste, Jānis Jaks.
Attackers: Teodors Bļugers, Zemgus Girgensons, Rūdolfs Balcers, Lauris Dārziņš, Miks Indrašis, Andris Džeriņš, Rodrigo Ābols, Deniss Smirnovs, Renārs Krastenbergs, Mārtiņš Dzierkals, Kaspars Daugaviņš, Rihards Bukarts, Roberts Bukņņš, Ronalds
The Latvian national team had participated in four consecutive Winter Olympics – in 2002 in Salt Lake City, in 2006 in Turin, in 2010 in Vancouver and in 2014 in Sochi, but no ticket to the 2018 Pyongyang Olympics was won.
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