Latvian U-18 hockey players finish the PC group tournament with a match against the Slovaks, fighting for the quarterfinals / day

Even without winning the victory, Latvians have a good chance of qualifying for the quarterfinals, which would only go to it if Norway later won Canada.

In Sub -Group A, the leaders with nine points in three games are Canadians, seven points in four matches for Finland, five points in three games in the Slovaks, two in Latvia and one for Norwegian.

The Latvian team beat Norwegian peers in the first match of the championship with a 3: 2 after -game shootout, but in the next two suffered a severe loss of 1: 7 for Canada and 2:10 for Finland. The Slovaks defeated Finland first with a 1: 0, then defeated Canada with a 2: 9 defeat to Norway in the previous game with a 9: 1.

The top four winners of the groups qualify for the quarterfinals, but the fifth place has won the match to stay in the top division.

Last year, the U-18 World Cup triumphed by Canadians, who beat the US with a 6: 4 final, but the Swedes won the bronze medals with a 4-0 win over the Slovaks.

The U-18 World Championships have been held since 1999, and the most titled team is the US, which has won 11 times. Five winner titles are Canada, four for Finland, three for Russia, and two for Sweden, and the Czech Republic, Slovakia and Switzerland have also reached the finals.

The Latvian U-18 hockey team has been playing in the World Championship elite since 2019, but no further than the quarter-finals.

Latvian U-18 Hockey Favorites:

Goalkeepers – Ivan Kufterin (« Riga Hockey School »), Patrick Plumin (« Zemgale »/LBTU), Regnar Capar (« Lidingo », Sweden);

Guards – Jānis Glasnieks, Rihards Meikšāns, Herbert Laugalis (all « Riga Hockey School »), Albert Schmitt (Mikeli « Jukurit », Finland), Reinis Auziņš (Tampere « Ilves », Finland), Krišjānis Saarts Core « , EHL), Rolands Naglis ( » Bern « , Switzerland);

Attackers – Robert Polis, Christian Utnan, Maxim Saperin, Gustav Spigulis, Krister Obuks (all « Riga Hockey School »), Oliver Mūrnieks (Susitia « Musketeers », USHL), Roberts Naudins (« Shattuck St. Mary’s », USHS -Prep) 16u), Martin Klaucan (Norsemen, Nahl), Magnus Avotiņš (Pittsburgh « Penguins Elite », 16u AAA), Daniel Serkin (« Bern », Switzerland), Daniel Ridzan (« Biel », Switzerland), Robert Gasun (Flints « Firebirds », OHL).