Latvian hockey team | Photo: LHF
The Latvian hockey team suffered a 1:5 defeat against Switzerland in the test match before the world championship tonight. Renārs Krastenbergs scored the only goal for the Latvian national team. On Saturday, both national teams will compete in Klotene.
Game progress
In the second half of the first period, Mark Marchon pushed the defender Christopher Binduli with his face on the edge of the field, the Swiss received a penalty of 5+20 minutes. The Latvians did not score a goal for the most part, moreover they let the puck into their own goal, three minutes before the end of the period the Swiss counterattack was completed by Taner Rišar. The Latvian national team ended the third period in the minority, as Eduards Tralmaks received a 2+2 minute penalty.
The visitors started the second period in the minority and in the 62nd second, Christofs Berchi received the puck at the blue line and skated alone against Ivar Punnenova, making it 2:0. The next goal was also scored by the Latvians in the minority, Marko Lēmans taking advantage of the chaos at the goal of the Latvian national team. In the 12th minute of the third period, the Latvian ice hockey players lost the puck in the middle zone, which allowed the home team to skate with two against one defender and Sven Zenteler to make it 4-0, but five minutes later, during the delayed penalty, Romēns Löfels scored another goal for the Swiss. In the second period, striker Filips Buncis was injured.
Before the final 20 minutes of the match, Punnenova was replaced in the goal by Eric Vitols. When there were four minutes and 17 seconds left before the end of the regular time, after the passes of Rihards Bukart and Dan Lochmelis, Krastenberg found himself alone with Leonardo Genoni, the Latvian, who played in the second league of Switzerland at the beginning of the season, made it 1:5
Statistics
The ratio of shots in this game was 31:21 in favor of the home team. The coaching staff of the Latvian national team has included three goalkeepers, nine defenders and 15 forwards. Defenders Artūrs Andžans and Sandis Smons, as well as forward Kristaps Skrastiņš, did not go to Switzerland.
At the beginning of the training camp, the Latvian hockey players played two test matches with Austria, celebrating a 3-2 victory in the shootouts in both games, but last week the Latvians lost twice to the Finns with a score of 2-3. The Latvian national team is scheduled to play six test matches at home and two away this spring. On May 3 and 4, the Latvians will meet Norway at home.
In the Latvian national team, the head coach Harijs Vītoliņš is assisted by coaches Lauris Dārziņš, Artūrs Irbe, Petri Nummelins, Ville Peltonens, Raimonds Vilkoits, video coach Pēteris Groms and physical training specialist Āriks Visockis.
The Latvian national team will go to the world championship in the Czech Republic on May 9. The 2024 championship will take place in Prague and Ostrava from May 10 to 26.
