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Shilov’s first coach: If I said that he will be the goalkeeper of the national team, I would be laughed at

Arthur Shilov | Photo: Guntis Lazdāns / LHF

Uldis Ķierpe, the first coach of Latvian hockey national team goalkeeper Artūras Šilova, revealed in a conversation with “Latvijas Televīzija” that over time his student made rapid physical progress, which allowed him to achieve good results.

“Now he is physically very strong, one of the strongest goalkeepers. But when he was little, you can’t imagine the way he went. If I told you that he will be the goalkeeper of the national team, I would be laughed at. He was physical swag. At the very beginning. Among 25 boys on the field, he was 23rd, 25th,” recalls Ķierpe, who coached Shilov from 2007 to 2010.

“We didn’t have a goalkeeper at that age, and then he was offered to try in goal. When he entered the gate, he changed 180 degrees. Then we started slowly. This year, he is generally fantastic. He has had it since childhood – no way [neielaist vārtus]. You cannot force anyone to stand at the gate. If you enter the gate, you have to like it. On the pitch you can hide behind someone, not do anything, there are shifts on the pitch. But there is only one goalkeeper,” emphasizes the coach.

In this year’s world championship, Šilovs has guarded Latvia’s goal in eight games, saving 92.6% of shots and allowing an average of 2.00 pucks. In the quarterfinal game against Sweden, he made 40 of 41 shots.

2023-05-26 19:31:14
#Shilovs #coach #goalkeeper #national #team #laughed

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