Latvia advances with an OT victory over Germany

31 Dec 2024Henrik Lundqvist»

In a dramatic Worl Juniors game at the Canadian Tire Centre, Latvia secured a hard-fought 4-3 overtime win against Germany, earning a spot in the 2025 IIHF World Junior Championship quarter-finals. Latvian forward Ēriks Mateiko was the hero, scoring twice, including the OT winner at 3:23, as his team rallied from a 2-0 second-period deficit to clinch the victory.

Germany came out strong, dominating the opening period and outshooting Latvia 14-4. Just 19 seconds into the game, Simon Seidl capitalized on a faceoff in the Latvian zone, sending a wrist shot past Latvian goalie Linards Feldbergs. Germany carried its momentum into the second period, with captain Edwin Tropmann scoring a power-play goal at 28:40 to extend the lead to 2-0.

Latvia responded swiftly. Just 32 seconds after Tropmann’s goal, Bruno Osmanis set up Mateiko for a one-timer that cut the deficit to 2-1. This marked the start of Latvia’s comeback, fueled by their resilience and opportunistic offense.

In the third period, Osmanis evened the score at 2-2 with a long shot through traffic. Despite a late-game frenzy, including Olivers Murnieks’ shorthanded empty-net goal for Latvia and David Lewandowski’s quick response on the same power play to tie it at 3-3, the game headed to overtime.

Mateiko sealed the win with his second goal, a brilliant individual effort, as Latvia outlasted Germany in a game defined by clutch moments and intense competition.

Despite the loss, Germany delivered a determined performance. Outshooting Latvia 39-22, they dominated possession but struggled to convert chances. Simon Seidl, Edwin Tropmann, and David Lewandowski scored for the Germans, while Linus Vieillard made 18 saves in goal. Germany will now face a relegation showdown on Thursday against the loser of Kazakhstan versus Switzerland.