Zemgale Face Kyiv Capitals After First Defeat of the Season
In the Latvian Hockey League on Saturday, Jelgava's Zemgale visit Kyiv Capitals, who sit second in the table. Zemgale suffered their first loss of the season on Wednesday and must play without captain Gatis Gricinskis.
In a Latvian Hockey League (OHL) game on Saturday, 10 October, at 13:30, Jelgava club Zemgale/LBTU travel to Kyiv Capitals, the Ukrainian side that is second in the standings. Zemgale arrive after their first defeat of the season: on Wednesday, Riga's Mogo/RSU won 4:2 in a rematch of the finals of the previous four seasons. Zemgale, coached by Arts Ābols, started their campaign later than the other teams and had won their first four games in a row.
Zemgale without their captain
Zemgale will have to do without experienced centre forward Gatis Gricinskis. The team captain received a two-minute penalty for a high-sticking shove after a face-off in the game against Mogo. After the incident was reviewed, he was given a two-game suspension.
The Capitals trio
Capitals' three top scorers are also the three leading scorers in the whole league. In seven games, Deivids Sarkanis has collected 22 points (9 goals, 13 assists), Gatis Sprukts 15 (3+12) and Kevins Strādnieks 14 (7+7). All three joined Capitals this summer. Sarkanis and Sprukts came from Mogo, while Strādnieks played for Liepāja last season and before that spent several seasons with Zemgale, Saturday's opponent.
Capitals have won six games, scoring at least five goals in five of those wins. Their only defeat came against Mogo (2:9).
Other games
At 13:00, Prizma/RTU host Mogo while on a four-game losing streak. They lost twice in a row to Kyiv (3:6 and 2:8) and twice to Lithuanian opposition: 2:5 against Elektrėnai's Energija and 2:4 against Vilnius's Hockey Punks. On 15 September, Prizma thrashed Elektrėnai 9:1 at home, but lost 2:5 away on 26 September.
Next week Mogo will travel to the Continental Cup, where they will face the champions of Lithuania, Ukraine and Spain.
