Latvian hockey players feature in pre-season friendlies across Europe
Several Latvian hockey players took part in their clubs' pre-season friendly matches in the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Switzerland and Finland. Krastenbergs scored a goal, but his team lost in a shootout.
A number of Latvian hockey players featured in their clubs' pre-season preparation matches across several European countries over the weekend.
Czech Republic
At the Czech ″Energie Motor Cup″, Krišjānis Krastenbergs' club Ceske Budejovice lost in a shootout to Bratislava's Slovan, with regulation time and overtime ending 4:4. Krastenbergs, deployed on the second line, scored one of his team's goals.
Olomouc lost 1:3 at home to Jihlava's Dukla, a club from the Czech second division. On the losing side, Ralfs Freibergs played on the first defensive pairing but did not register any points. For the winners, Ralfs Bergmanis and Edgars Kulda featured on the first line, while Patriks Ozols played on the third defensive pairing.
In another match, Kristiāns Rubīns' club Plzeň's Škoda beat Karlovy Vary 1:0 at home; Karlovy Vary's roster includes Roberts Mamčics and Haralds Egle. None of the Latvian players registered points in that game.
Prague's Sparta defeated Vitkovice 3:0, with Mārtiņš Dzierkals taking the ice on the fourth forward line without scoring.
Slovakia
Kristofers Bindulis, playing on the second line for Mihalovce's Dukla, recorded an assist in a match his team lost 4:7 to Liptovský Mikuláš.
Switzerland
Rodrigo Ābols was left out of Bern's lineup for a match against Oskars Lapinskis' Langnau Tigers, which Langnau won 2:1. Lapinskis, playing on the fourth forward line, did not register any points.
Zurich Lions, whose roster included Rūdolfs Balcers, lost 0:2 away to Lugano. Balcers played on the second line.
Finland
Artūrs Andžāns helped HPK beat Ässät 3:0, playing on the third defensive pairing. Bogdans Hodass, also on a third defensive pairing, helped Mikkeli's Jukurit defeat KooKoo 2:1.
