En route to the quarter-finals, Latvia celebrates a first-period goal during a 4-3 overtime win over Germany in Group A action at the 2025 IIHF World Junior Championship.
photo: PHOTO: © INTERNATIONAL ICE HOCKEY FEDERATION / ANDRE RINGUETTE
With a 4-3 overtime win over Germany on Monday, Latvia locked up its spot in the 2025 IIHF World Junior Championship quarter-finals. Eriks Mateiko stepped up with two goals, including the OT winner at 3:23, as the Latvians rallied from a 2-0 second-period deficit.
"It definitely feels good," said Mateiko. "We found a way. That probably wasn't our best game. Germany played well. They surprised us in the first period. But it's really fun to win in this tournament, I can tell you that!"
Oliver Murnieks chipped in a goal and two assists for the Latvians. Germany outshot Latvia 40-22, but couldn't get the three-point regulation win it needed to make the next round.
Finishing last in Group A, Germany must reset and refocus for Thursday's do-or-die relegation showdown at the Canadian Tire Centre. Their opponent will be the loser of Tuesday's Kazakhstan-Switzerland game.
"We need good sleep, good regeneration with our conditioning coach," German captain Edwin Tropmann said. "If everyone gives everything in this [relegation game], we will win it."
The Germans didn’t look tired versus Latvia after losing 3-0 to Canada the night before, delivering a hard-working effort in a losing cause.
After their thrilling 3-2 shootout upset over Canada, the Latvians faced pressure to earn a quarter-final berth here. Latvia has one remaining game versus Finland and could sitll improve its seeding with a New Year's Eve win.
"It's amazing to know that we have a guaranteed spot in the quarter-finals, but we can still get a higher seat in our group and maybe be the two seed," said Murnieks.
In goal, Linards Feldbergs, the hero against Canada, looked strong in his third straight start for Latvia. Germany's Linus Vieillard, who recorded 40 saves in a 3-1 loss to Finland, got his second start.
"It's really big for Latvia," said Feldbergs. "We are a small country, but we can do big things, like we did today and game against Canada."
Coach Tobias Abstreiter's Germans got off to an ideal start. Just 19 seconds in, Simon Seidl snared the puck off a faceoff in the Latvian end and whipped it over the glove of Feldbergs.
"I just got the puck and I shot it," said Seidl. "It was a set play from our line."
Germany continued to carry the play, buoyed by strong defence, and Latvia didn’t register a shot until close to the eight-minute mark. First-period shots were 14-4 for Germany.
In the second period, even though Latvia pushed back, Germany continued the pattern of quick-strike scoring off an offensive-zone draw. Six seconds into an interference minor to Latvian captain Peteris Bulans, Tropmann made it 2-0 with a rising centre-point wrister at 8:40.
The Latvians needed a rapid response, and they got it just 32 seconds later. Bruno Osmanis controlled the puck below the German goal line off a faceoff and sent it to Mateiko. The Latvian power forward, who notched the shootout winner versus Canada, fired a one-timer past Vielllard's glove.
Murnieks praised his linemate Mateiko: "He's very good. I like to play with him. He's smart, he's tall, he knows where to go."
Osmanis remained a thorn in Germany's side in the third period, firing a long shot through traffic that made it 2-2 at 6:55. There was understandable concern when a follow-through from German blueliner Max Hense clipped Osmanis in the face in the German end with under nine minutes left in regulation. He skated off to the dressing room in discomfort.
Things got messy toward the end. Germany had a golden opportunity to regain the lead when Krists Retenais was sent off for delay of game after flipping the puck over the glass in his own zone. The Germans pulled their goalie in an attempt to stop the game from going to overtime, and Murnieks lofted a backhander into the empty net for a 3-2 Latvian lead at 17:16.
However, just 20 seconds later, David Lewandowski made it 3-3 on that same power play with the goalie still pulled. Germany's quest for a regulation-time winner continued, but it was fruitless.
Murnieks summed up the exuberant vibe around this Latvian team back home: "Everybody was talking about us after the Canada win. The whole Internet was about us and how we won. Now, after this game, I checked my phone. Everybody was texting me about how I scored, so I'm just happy."
Latvia’s best previous World Junior finish is seventh (2022). Germany, as West Germany, peaked at fifth (1981) and more recently came sixth twice (2021, 2022).
"It definitely feels good," said Mateiko. "We found a way. That probably wasn't our best game. Germany played well. They surprised us in the first period. But it's really fun to win in this tournament, I can tell you that!"
Oliver Murnieks chipped in a goal and two assists for the Latvians. Germany outshot Latvia 40-22, but couldn't get the three-point regulation win it needed to make the next round.
Finishing last in Group A, Germany must reset and refocus for Thursday's do-or-die relegation showdown at the Canadian Tire Centre. Their opponent will be the loser of Tuesday's Kazakhstan-Switzerland game.
"We need good sleep, good regeneration with our conditioning coach," German captain Edwin Tropmann said. "If everyone gives everything in this [relegation game], we will win it."
The Germans didn’t look tired versus Latvia after losing 3-0 to Canada the night before, delivering a hard-working effort in a losing cause.
After their thrilling 3-2 shootout upset over Canada, the Latvians faced pressure to earn a quarter-final berth here. Latvia has one remaining game versus Finland and could sitll improve its seeding with a New Year's Eve win.
"It's amazing to know that we have a guaranteed spot in the quarter-finals, but we can still get a higher seat in our group and maybe be the two seed," said Murnieks.
In goal, Linards Feldbergs, the hero against Canada, looked strong in his third straight start for Latvia. Germany's Linus Vieillard, who recorded 40 saves in a 3-1 loss to Finland, got his second start.
"It's really big for Latvia," said Feldbergs. "We are a small country, but we can do big things, like we did today and game against Canada."
Coach Tobias Abstreiter's Germans got off to an ideal start. Just 19 seconds in, Simon Seidl snared the puck off a faceoff in the Latvian end and whipped it over the glove of Feldbergs.
"I just got the puck and I shot it," said Seidl. "It was a set play from our line."
Germany continued to carry the play, buoyed by strong defence, and Latvia didn’t register a shot until close to the eight-minute mark. First-period shots were 14-4 for Germany.
In the second period, even though Latvia pushed back, Germany continued the pattern of quick-strike scoring off an offensive-zone draw. Six seconds into an interference minor to Latvian captain Peteris Bulans, Tropmann made it 2-0 with a rising centre-point wrister at 8:40.
The Latvians needed a rapid response, and they got it just 32 seconds later. Bruno Osmanis controlled the puck below the German goal line off a faceoff and sent it to Mateiko. The Latvian power forward, who notched the shootout winner versus Canada, fired a one-timer past Vielllard's glove.
Murnieks praised his linemate Mateiko: "He's very good. I like to play with him. He's smart, he's tall, he knows where to go."
Osmanis remained a thorn in Germany's side in the third period, firing a long shot through traffic that made it 2-2 at 6:55. There was understandable concern when a follow-through from German blueliner Max Hense clipped Osmanis in the face in the German end with under nine minutes left in regulation. He skated off to the dressing room in discomfort.
Things got messy toward the end. Germany had a golden opportunity to regain the lead when Krists Retenais was sent off for delay of game after flipping the puck over the glass in his own zone. The Germans pulled their goalie in an attempt to stop the game from going to overtime, and Murnieks lofted a backhander into the empty net for a 3-2 Latvian lead at 17:16.
However, just 20 seconds later, David Lewandowski made it 3-3 on that same power play with the goalie still pulled. Germany's quest for a regulation-time winner continued, but it was fruitless.
Murnieks summed up the exuberant vibe around this Latvian team back home: "Everybody was talking about us after the Canada win. The whole Internet was about us and how we won. Now, after this game, I checked my phone. Everybody was texting me about how I scored, so I'm just happy."
Latvia’s best previous World Junior finish is seventh (2022). Germany, as West Germany, peaked at fifth (1981) and more recently came sixth twice (2021, 2022).
Germany vs Latvia - 2025 IIHF World Junior Championship
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