“Zemgale”/LLU hockey players once again lose to the league leader “Mestis”.

Jelgava team lost to “Kiekko-Espoo” with 3:5 (0:2, 2:2, 1:1).

Tommi Takaverejes and Anton Ollikainen’s accurate shots put the guests in the lead in the first third.

At the beginning of the second period, Oula Kūre made it 3:0. In the continuation of the third period, Gatis Gricinskis scored the first goal for the home team, but Jaspers Vītala regained the three-goal lead for the visitors four minutes before the end of the period.

Harijs Brants scored the second goal of “Zemgale”/LLU less than a minute before the end of the second third, reducing the deficit to two goals (2:4).

In the final period, the visitors needed three minutes to send the puck into the goal of the Jelgava unit again, this time being accurate by Jāko Heikinen. In the 46th minute, Jelgava players used the majority and Artūrs Karaša made it 3:5.

Rihards Zimmermanis guarded the home goal and saved 25 shots, while Valteri Ignatjevs managed 32 shots at the other end of the field.

The day before, Jelgavniki conceded with the result 2:3.

With 23 points won in 30 games, the Jelgava team ranks last in the competition of 14 teams, while “Kiekko-Espoo” is first with 91 points in 36 matches.

Latvian champion “Mestis” will play 52 games in four rounds in the main tournament of the league, 26 of which will take place in the “Zemgale/LLU” ice hall in Jelgava.

Last season, Imatra’s “Kettera” became the champion team of Finland’s second strongest league, which beat “Kiekko-Espoo” 4-1 in the final series.

Jelgava “Zemgale”/LLU 2021/2022. won their first Latvian championship title in the season of 2002, defeating the previous champion “Olimp”/”Venta 2002” 4-0 in the final series.