Eriks Mateiko scored the game winner in the 8th round of a penalty-shot shootout to give Latvia a 3-2 win over Canada tonight in Ottawa, the nation's first-ever win against Canada at the World Juniors.

But while Mateiko drew attention for his heroics, it was goaltender Linards Feldbergs who was even more spectacular, stopping 55 of 57 shots and stopping all eight Canadian shooters in the PSS.

"It's one hockey game, and anything can happen," opined coach Artis Abols. "Our goalie was good; we worked hard; we had success on the power play. We found a way to slopw them down. It means a lot to us...and it means nothing because two points is nothing on its own. We need two more. Tonight we are happy, but tomorrow we play the same level of opponent [United States], so we have to start to prepare."
 

Captain Peteris Bulans had tied the game 2-2 at 17:31 of the third with a wicked point shot on the power play, capping a three-power-play goal frenzy that saw the underdogs work their way back into the game. 

Calum Ritchie's bullet shot on the power play at 14:22 of the third had given Canada a 2-1 lead, and Latvia had tied the game, 1-1, just a minute earlier on its own man advantage. Bruno Osmanis fed a beautiful pass to Eriks Mateiko, and he redirected the puck into the open net, sending the Latvian bench into celebration. Never before had they been in such a close game with Canada at the World Juniors.

Canada drops to 1-1 in Group A in Ottawa as the World Junior Championship wraps up play on day two. Latvia was playing their first game and will have a chance to upset another favourite tomorrow night in a tough battle with the United States.

The Canadians now have a day off before playing Germany on Sunday.

Latvia’s roster features no fewer than four players born in 2008 (when the majority World Juniors are born 2005 or 2006)—Olivers Murnieks, Martins Klaucans, Rudolfs Berzkalns, and Roberts Naudins. Murnieks had perhaps the best chance of the opening period, barrelling in on goal and forcing Jack Ivankovic to make a nice save. 

Beyond that, it was a tepid and uneventful 20 minutes, Canada’s dip in play perhaps the result of relishing for too long their impressive and important 4-0 shutout of Finland last night.

"After the first period, we started to believe each other and thinking we can beat a big team like Canada," Abols continued. "They are always the favourites at every tournament, especially at this level. The gap between them and us is even bigger than at the adult level. Our tactics tonight, the way we played for each other and showed discipline, all was a success."

Canada opened the scoring early in the second with a short-handed goal that was strange, to say the least. The Cannadians cleared the puck down the ice, but as Jett Luchanko raced hard to chase it down Latvian goalie Linards Feldbergs stayed in his crease. Luchanko got to the puck, made a move, and slid the puck in at 3:28.

The goal was reminiscent of Akil Thomas’s game winner at the 2020 World Juniors when Russian goalie Amir Miftakhov seemed similarly glued to his crease.

Despite that gaffe, Feldbergs was in the zone all night, stopping everything Canada threw at him. The Latvians showed little offensive ability, but Feldbergs kept the score close.