Today, the Latvian men’s hockey team will compete in the final of one of the oldest tournaments in Europe – “Deutschland Cup” – with the host of the competition Germany.
The game will start at 15.30 Latvian time, broadcasting it live on the 7th channel of Latvian Television.
It has already been reported that on Friday Latvia beat the German U-23 national unit 4: 2, but on Saturday lost to the German adult team with 0: 2. On Thursday, the two German teams met with each other, winning the national team 7: 2.
The Latvian and German national teams will compete again on Sunday, fighting for the first place in the tournament. On Saturday, debut goalkeeper Rūdolfs Lazdiņš was recognized as the best in the Latvian national team, who repelled 32 out of 33 German shots.
27 players went to the tournament in Krefeld – three goalkeepers, nine defenders and 15 forwards.
The first goalkeeper of the national team is Artūrs Šilovs, who is under the auspices of the Vancouver Canucks, but among the guards in the Latvian national team shirt you can see such hockey players as Artūrs Kulda, Kārlis Čukste, Oskars Bārtulis and Krišjānis Rēdlihs. Mārtiņš Karsums, Rihards Bukarts, Andris Džeriņš and Gunārs Skvorcovs represent the team from the leading players in the attack.
The first three of the strikers have not yet reached a new contract this season, while Skvortsov has played in four Continental Hockey League (KHL) games in Beijing’s Red Star.
The most striking performance of the local championship strikers was demonstrated by Nikolay Yeliseev, who scored ten goals and equally effective passes in 12 games in the ranks of “Olimp” / ”Venta 2002”. He was named the best player in the first game of the Latvian national team with the German U-23 team in the German Cup. Bruno Zabis, who has not been called to the national team, is four points less (6 + 10), but another Liepaja player Egīls Kalns has scored with ten “goals” and five passes.
Meanwhile, defender Christopher Bindulis joined the team in Germany.
The head coach of the Latvian national team in the tournament is Artis Ābols, assisted by Herberts Vasiljevs, Edgars Masaļskis and Maksims Širokovs, as well as every day there is communication with Bob Hartl, making decisions about the players’ ranks together.
The team went to the tournament on Wednesday, November 4, and will be back on Monday, November 9. Each team member took two Covid-19 tests both before the start of the training camp and before leaving for Germany. Double tests will also be required upon return.
It has already been reported that all players of the national team tested negative for Covid-19 last week.
Composition of the Latvian men’s hockey team in the test tournament “Deutschland Cup”:
Goalkeepers – Artūrs Šilovs, Kārlis Beķeris-Brīvkalns (both – Hockey School “Rīga”), Rūdolfs Lazdiņš (“Olimp” / ”Venta 2002”);
Guards – Artūrs Kulda, Artūrs Salija (both – without club), Ēriks Ševčenko, Harijs Brants (both – “Zemgale” / LLU), Kārlis Čukste, Oskars Bārtulis, Krišjānis Rēdlihs (all – “Mogo” / LSPA), Arvils Bergmanis ( “Olimp” / ”Venta 2002”), Christopher Bindulis (Kreengfeld “Penguine”, Germany);
Forwarders – Vitalijs Pavlovs, Rihards Bukarts, Mārtiņš Karsums, Andris Džeriņš, Frank Razgals, Renārs Krastenbergs (all – without club), Gatis Sprukts, Emīls Ezītis, Nikolajs Jelisejevs (all – “Olimp” / ”Venta 2002”) Egils Kalns Freidenfelds, Kārlis Ozoliņš (all – “Liepāja”), Ralfs Jevdokimovs (“Zemgale” / LLU), Oskars Batņa (“Anglet”, France), Gunārs Skvorcovs (Beijing “Kunlun Red Star”, KHL).
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