The intensity from both sides was palpable from the drop of the puck. It took a Slovak power play to overcome the tight-checking vibe and get the all-important first goal late in the first period.
The Slovaks had a 6-on-4 with a delayed penalty upcoming to Latvia, and they banged away at rebounds around Berzins’ crease until Ciernik finally converted for his second goal of the tournament at 17:52.
Generally, penalty-killing has been a bright spot for the Latvians in Moncton. This was the first power play goal they have conceded at this tournament after killing off seven man advantages in their previous three games.
In the second period, Mesar nearly doubled his team’s lead when he rang the puck off Berzins’ right post on the rush. The 2022 Montreal Canadiens first-rounder hit the opposite post with a power play blast with seven and a half minutes left in the frame.
On the same Slovak man advantage, Dans Locmelis had a fabulous opportunity to tie it up on a shorthanded breakaway, but Gajan coolly took away the five-hole and turned the Lulea forward’s shot aside.
“We said in our meeting before the game that number 11 from Latvia is their best player,” Gajan said. “But I was confident. I think he just hit my pad. So it wasn’t like a tough save.”
Gajan answered the bell again early in a Latvian power play when Dukurs tried to jam the puck past his left pad. The Latvians held a 16-6 edge in shots in the second period but had nothing to show for it.
Just past the six-minute mark of the third period, Latvian blueliner Niks Fenenko was shaken up when a shot from Simon Nemec hit him high. But like the rest of his teammates, Fenenko hung in there and kept on battling.
Simon Nemec gave Slovakia some breathing room with his first goal of these World Juniors at 9:03. Coming late, the captain cruised over the Latvian blue line on the right side, took a nice cross-ice pass from Mesar, and whipped a shot off the inside of the far post.
“There were a couple of good blocked shots in our zone and then I made a rush into the O-zone,” Mesar said. “I saw Simon going straight toward the net from the blue line and I just passed to him. He knows what to do with the puck, so it went in the net.”
Desperate to break through, Latvian coach Artis Abols called his timeout and pulled Berzins for the extra skater with four minutes remaining. It was fruitless, as Mesar scored an empty-netter at 17:03. Sandis Vilmanis hit the goal post with less than two minutes left, but that was as close as Latvia would get.
“I have nothing but respect for our guys,” said Latvian assistant captain Martins Lavins. “They battled as hard as they could. And everyone just came up short. But that’s life.”
Of facing either Germany or Austria in relegation play, Hodass said: “We can’t say they’re bad teams. They’re really good teams. And that’s gonna be tough games for sure. But I think we should win them.”
Slovakia has never lost to Latvia at the World Juniors. This was the eighth Slovakia win dating back to 27 December, 2005. However, the scores have gotten closer in general. The previous four meetings were decided by two or fewer goals, including Slovakia’s 3-2 shootout win at the 2022 World Juniors on Matej Kaslik’s goal.
Slovak forward Robert Baco missed the game against Latvia. He served a one-game suspension for a cross-checking incident that occurred at the end of Slovakia’s game against the Americans.
TORONTO – Reigning PWHL MVP and scoring champ Natalie Spooner will miss the start of the regular season for the Toronto Sceptres, general manager Gina Kingsbury announced Tuesday on the first day of training camp.
The 33-year-old Spooner had knee surgery on her left anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) after she was checked into the boards by Minnesota’s Grace Zumwinkle in Game 3 of their best-of-five semifinal series on May 13.
She had a goal and an assist in three playoff games but did not finish the series. Toronto was up 2-1 in the semifinal at that time and eventually fell 3-2 in the series.
Spooner led the PWHL with 27 points in 24 games. Her 20 goals, including five game-winners, were nine more than the closest skater.
Kingsbury said there is no timeline, as the team wants the Toronto native at 100 per cent, but added that “she is doing really well” in her recovery.
The Sceptres open the PWHL season on Nov. 30 when they host the Boston Fleet.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Nov. 12, 2024.
LAHORE, Pakistan (AP) — A top official of the Pakistan Cricket Board declined Friday to confirm media reports that India has decided against playing any games in host Pakistan during next year’s Champions Trophy.
“My view is if there’s any problems, they (India) should tell us in writing,” PCB chairman Mohsin Naqvi told reporters in Lahore. “I’ll share that with the media as well as with the government as soon as I get such a letter.”
Indian media reported Friday that the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has communicated its concerns to all the Champions Trophy stakeholders, including the PCB, over the Feb. 19-March 9 tournament and would not play in arch-rival Pakistan.
The Times of India said that “Dubai is a strong candidate to host the fixtures involving the Men in Blue” for the 50-over tournament.
Such a solution would see Pakistan having to travel to a neutral venue to play India in a group match, with another potential meeting later in the tournament if both teams advanced from their group. The final is scheduled for March 9 in Pakistan with the specific venue not yet decided.
“Our stance is clear,” Naqvi said. “They need to give us in writing any objections they may have. Until now, no discussion of the hybrid model has happened, nor are we prepared to accept one.”
Political tensions have stopped bilateral cricket between the two nations since 2008 and they have competed in only multi-nation tournaments, including ICC World Cups.
“Cricket should be free of politics,” Naqvi said. “Any sport should not be entangled with politics. Our preparations for the Champions Trophy will continue unabated, and this will be a successful event.”
The PCB has already spent millions of dollars on the upgrade of stadiums in Karachi, Lahore and Rawalpindi which are due to host 15 Champions Trophy games. Naqvi hoped all the three stadiums will be ready over the next two months.
“Almost every country wants the Champions Trophy to be played here (in Pakistan),” Naqvi said. “I don’t think anyone should make this a political matter, and I don’t expect they will. I expect the tournament will be held at the home of the official hosts.”
Eight countries – Pakistan, India, Bangladesh, England, Australia, South Africa, New Zealand and Afghanistan – are due to compete in the tournament, the schedule of which is yet to be announced by the International Cricket Council.
“Normally the ICC announces the schedule of any major tournament 100 days before the event, and I hope they will announce it very soon,” Naqvi said.
RIYADH, Saudi Arabia – Ottawa‘s Gabriela Dabrowski and Erin Routliffe of New Zealand are through to the doubles final at the WTA Finals after a 7-6 (7), 6-1 victory over Nicole Melichar-Martinez of the United States and Australia’s Ellen Perez in semifinal action Friday.
Dabrowski and Routliffe won a hard-fought first set against serve when Routliffe’s quick reaction at the net to defend a Perez shot gave the duo set point, causing Perez to throw down her racket in frustration.
The second seeds then cruised through the second set, winning match point on serve when Melichar-Martinez couldn’t handle Routliffe’s shot.
The showdown was a rematch of last year’s semifinal, which Melichar-Martinez and Perez won in a super tiebreak.
Dabrowski and Routliffe will face the winner of a match between Katerina Siniakova and Taylor Townsend, and Hao-Ching Chan and Veronika Kudermetova in the final on Saturday.
Dabrowski is aiming to become the first Canadian to win a WTA Finals title.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Nov. 8, 2024.
