“Zemgale/LBTU” scores one goal and celebrates the victory in the second match of the final series of the “Optibet” hockey league

“Zemgale/LBTU” in attack | Photo: LHF

On Friday in Jelgava, “Zemgale”/LBTU celebrated a minimal victory in the second final game of the “Optibet” Hockey League (OHL), equalizing the result in the series. “Zemgale”/LBTU won 1:0 (0:0, 1:0, 0:0) against “Mogo”/LSPA on Friday in Jelgava, making the series 1-1.

In the sixth minute, Gint Meija violated the rules, receiving a two-minute penalty. It was the first foul of the series, with the teams going without a penalty in the first game. The home team took advantage of the third disallowance by sending the puck saved by goalkeeper Linard Feldberg to Richard Bernhard with the second shot after Artur Khomyakov’s shot.

At the end of the second period, after a shot by Reiņas Virsnīš, the puck also went into the goal of the home team guarded by Rihardas Cimmermanis, but after watching the replay, the referees decided that it happened after the end of the playing time of the period. In the last minute, Feldberg gave place to the sixth field player, but no goal was scored.

Zimmermanis played the “dry” game in the home team’s goal, saving 25 shots, while Feldberg managed 16 shots for the visitors. In the first final game on Wednesday, the people of Riga won 3-2 on the road, taking a 1-0 lead in the series up to four victories.

Current champion “Zemgale”/LBTU defeated Riga “Prizma” 4-0 in the semi-final series, while “Mogo”/LSPA defeated “Kurbads” hockey players 4-0 in the series.

In the first two games, the Jelgava team has to do without striker Kristians Zelts, who was given a 5+20-minute suspension for an attack on the head and neck during the semi-final match of the Optibet Hockey League (OHL) on March 14. Initially, the player was given an 11-match suspension, which was later reduced to nine matches with the option for the club to redeem five more matches, which has also been done, according to the information provided by the team’s coach, Artas Ābolas LETA.

This season, in the mutual games between the two finalists, Jelgavniki won the first two matches of the main tournament with 2:1 and 5:1, but in the last two games, Riga hockey players were superior with 3:1 and 2:1. On March 31 and April 2, the teams will compete in Riga, but the remaining games, if necessary, will take place on April 4 in Jelgava, April 6 in Riga and April 8 in Jelgava.

In the quarterfinals, “Prizma” beat Tallinn’s “Panter” with 3-1 and “Kurbads” with 3-0 – Hockey school “Rīga”.

Six teams made it to the OHL playoffs. The quarter-finals took place up to three victories, while the semi-finals and the battle for the OHL Cup and the Baltic Championship title took place up to four successes.

In the 2023/2024 season, Riga’s “Prizma”, Hockey school “Rīga”, Jelgava “Zemgale”/LBTU, “Mogo”/LSPA and “Kurbads” from Latvia, “Kaunas City”, Elektrēnu “Airwell-Energija” will participate in the Baltic Championship “, Vilnius “7BET-Hockey Punks” from Lithuania and Estonian club “Panter” from Tallinn.

Last year, “Zemgale”/LBTU became the champion, which defeated “Mogo”/LSPA 4-1 in the final to four victories.