Latvian hockey players in Riga win in Test match with Finland / Day
Latvia beat Finland by 3: 2 (1: 1, 1: 0, 1: 1), winning the Finns for the first time since 2014.
In the 11th minute, the Latvian team needed 50 seconds to realize the majority. After the passes of Kaspars Daugaviņš and Kristaps Zīle with a shot without a puck, Rihards Bukarts scored 1: 0 for Latvia.
The Finns leveled in the 14th minute, with the puck under the goalkeeper Gustav Grigal’s leggings scoring Heiki Liedes 1: 1.
In the second half of the period, the game was mostly in the Latvian national team, with the Finns scoring 12 times in the first period at the Grigal’s goal, while the Latvians made five shots on the guarded goal of Lehtinen.
In the 34th minute, Henri Ravinskis collected the puck in the middle zone, and in the Finnish national team played it on the middle of Gleb Prohorenkov, who addressed the puck even further left, Kaspar Daugavins sending a puck among Lehtinen’s legs – 2: 1 for the Latvian national team.
In the 43rd minute, Rainer Ruller scored 3: 1 after Martin Rodrigo Lavina and Markus Komula, fighting a puck between Lehtinen’s leg guards in the fight against a guest player.
In the 45th minute, Engberg slipped alone with Grigal in the minority, sending the puck between the foot guards and reaching 2: 3.
The Finns played with six players on the field for the last minute and 44 seconds, but the result did not change.
On Thursday, the two teams in the Xiaomi Arena will meet again.
Last week, Latvian hockey players played the first two test games, defeating the Austrian team with a 3: 2 overtime and 4: 1. For the Finns, these will be the first test matches.
The Finnish national team includes 12 hockey players from the Finnish Championship, nine players from the Swedish Hockey League (SHL), including Hannes Bjerninen, who scored a win goal for the Finnish national team for the final of the 2022 Olympics, and three hockey players from the Swiss High League (NLA) clubs.
In the follow -up to the preparatory phase, the Latvian team in the Xiaomi Arena will also host the Swiss team, but will meet the Norwegian team in early May.
The 2025 World Championship in May will take place in Stockholm, where the Latvian team will also play, and in the Denmark city of Herning.
List of Latvian national team candidates:
Goalkeepers – Eric Vitols (JiveSkiles Jyp, Finland), Marek Miten (« Spišska Nova Ves », Slovakia), Gustav Dāvis Grigals (Trenchina « Dukla », Slovakia), Krister Gudlevsky (Bremerhan « Fischtown Pinguins », Germany);
Guards-Mick Tumanov (JiveSkiles Jyp, Finland), Kristaps Zīle (Litvinova « Verva », Czech Republic), Marcus Komul (Kladno « Rytiri », Czech Republic), Sandis Smons (« La Chaux-de-Fonds », Switzerland), Nauris Sower ( (« Renselier Polytechnic Institute », NCAA), Artūrs Andžāns (Hemenlinnas HPK, Finland), Ralph Bergman (University of Minnesota, NCAA), Robert Mamchitz (Karlov Vary « Energie », Czech Republic), Bogdan Hod (Iowa « Hearlanders »;
Attackers – Kaspars Daugaviņš (no club), Harald Egle (Lipptovski Mikulaša « MHK 32 », Slovakia), Rihards Bukarts (Vītkovice « Rider », Czech Republic), Felix Gavars (St. Lorenz University, NCAA, NCAA) Prohorenkov (University of Niagara, NCAA), Rainer Ruller (« Renselier Polytechnic Institute », NCAA), Martin Lavins, Kristaps Skrastiņš (University of New Hampshire, NCAA), Georg Golovkov (« Frydek-Mistek » Switzerland), Klav Weinberg (Colorado College, NCAA), Raimonds Vitolins (Miami University, NCAA), Tom Anderson (« La Chaux-de-Fonds », Switzerland), Bruno Osmanis (« Bjorkloven », Sweden).
Finnish team lineup with Latvia:
Goalkeepers – Lasi Lehtinen (Ernish Swiss « Modo », Sweden), Oscar Salminen (JiveSkiles Jyp);
Guards – Rasmuss Risanen (« Linoping », Sweden), Tony Sund (Helsinki HIFK), Walter Pull, Jesper Pelonen (both – « Lugano », Switzerland), Tobias Vinberg (Modo of Ernsheldviks, Sweden), Sepele (« Orebro ») (Jenšēping HV71, Sweden), Jese Virtanen (« Ambri-Piotta », Switzerland);
Attackers – Kristian Vesalainen (Helsinki Hifk), William Marjala, Pekile (both Turkish TPS), Patrick Puistola, Hannes Bjerninen, Robert Lein (all – « Orebro », Sweden), Topic Engberg (Kouvolas « Kouvolas » Kouvolas « Kouvolas ») Tommi was (Jenšēping HV71, Sweden), Heiki Liedesdes, Arta Tuomal (both « Kiekko -espoo »), Oiva Keskinen, Peters Puhaka (both Tamper « Tappara »), Santers Huoville (Jivekiles JYP).
