Kocēni's "Rubene" floorball clubs triumph in both divisions at "Latvian Open"
At the 20th international floorball tournament "Latvian Open" held in Kocēni and Valmiera, teams from Kocēni's "Rubene" club won both the men's and women's competitions, with the club's second squad, "Rubene/KSS", taking the men's title.
The 20th edition of the international floorball tournament "Latvian Open" took place over the weekend in Kocēni and Valmiera. Organizers noted that the tournament's scale has diminished in recent years, with almost no foreign teams (aside from one women's team from Tallinn) and several leading Latvian clubs absent.
Men's competition
Twelve teams competed in the men's tournament, split into two groups of six. In Group A, FK "Vārme/Produs" surprisingly finished first after beating tournament favorites "Rubene" in their opening match. Kocēni's main squad finished second in the group. In Group B, "Bauska", recently relegated from the Elvi League, topped the standings.
In the quarterfinals, "Vārme/Produs" suffered an upset loss to "Rubene/KSS", while "Bauska", "Rubene" and the Slampe team all won their matches. In the semifinals, "Bauska" edged "Rubene" 6:5, with the Kocēni team failing to convert decisive chances late in the game. In the other semifinal, "Rubene/KSS" comfortably defeated the Slampe squad. "Rubene's" main team took bronze, while in the final "Rubene/KSS" overcame "Bauska" 8:7 in a tight contest to claim the title.
Women's competition
Five teams took part in the women's tournament. "NND/RJTC" won all its group-stage matches, finishing ahead of "Rubene". "Ķekavas Bulldogs" placed third in the group, edging out the only foreign team, Tallinn's "Sparta".
There were no surprises in the semifinals: "NND/RJTC" defeated "Sparta", while "Rubene" convincingly beat "Ķekavas Bulldogs". "Sparta" claimed the bronze medal. In the final, "Rubene" beat "NND/RJTC" 4:1, avenging their group-stage loss to become champions.
