Latvia and hosts Finland – World Cham­pi­onship double-header, take three

Image information: Focused on the next opponent, Latvia. Pictured: Head Coach Roger Bader - Copyright: GEPA pictures/Daniel Goetzhaber

Sweden and the USA to begin with, a day off, then the games against Czechia and Norway – four games in five days. This Thursday, the team is enjoying only its second day off at this World Championship before another two games within 24 hours.

Austria’s men’s national ice hockey team has been handed the most intensive schedule at the World Championship in Finland, with a total of seven games in ten days. For this reason, Head Coach Roger Bader only sends those players who did not feature in the line-up in the previous game onto the ice for training on non-game days. The remaining players have the day off, Roger Bader: “They should be 100 per cent away from ice hockey today.”

The aim is to clear their heads and recover in order to be 100 per cent focused again. On Friday, they will first face Latvia. Unlike the game against Norway, when Austria had celebrated their historic 2:1 win over world power Czechia beforehand and the Scandinavians had a day off, Latvia face Czechia today while Austria enjoy a day off.

Roger Bader warns, however, that this does not necessarily mean an advantage: “The majority of Latvian players are active in the KHL, some are in Switzerland, and there are also two or three NHL players. Unlike our players, they are used to such workloads and long journeys. A lot will depend on how successful and physically demanding their game against Finland is for them. For us, it was important that we now have a day off after the exertions of the past few days.”

Latvia are among the established top-division nations and, according to the Swiss coach, are ranked directly behind the leading nations: “Latvia are well organised and compact defensively. It is difficult to create scoring chances against them. They also have players who are very good on the counter-attack and forwards with good skills. In summary, they are a really good team against whom it is difficult to play. We will need a top performance to force the bounces our way and perhaps take something tangible from the game.”

Austria have often had close encounters with Latvia in the past. Austria won their very first meeting at the 1936 Olympic Games 7:1. At World Championships, they have recorded two wins so far: 1999 in Hamar (NOR) 5:2, and 2013 in Helsinki (FIN) 6:3. In a total of 22 games, Austria have celebrated five wins and suffered 17 defeats.

Nothing will change in the Austrian camp’s system of play, and it is certain that Bernhard Starkbaum, who was named best player against Czechia, will be back in goal. The IIHF’s decision regarding Philipp Wimmer, who received a match penalty against Norway, is still pending and is expected on Thursday evening.

Only 20 hours separate the start of the game against Latvia from that against Finland. At the latest, Austria will play in front of a full house in Tampere against the hosts and reigning Olympic champions. There is a certain sense of anticipation, but the current focus is solely on Latvia, as Roger Bader stresses.

Austria have yet to record a win over Finland in 15 games. Their best results so far have been a 5:5 draw at the Netherlands Tournament in 1981 and a 3:3 result at the 2000 World Championship in St Petersburg (RUS).

13 - 29 May 2022
Hosts: Finland (Tampere & Helsinki)
Defending champions: Canada

Austria fixture list

Latvia vs. Austria
Fri, 20 May 2022, 19:20, live on ORF Sport+

Austria vs. Finland
Sat, 21 May 2022, 15:20, live on ORF Sport+

Austria vs. Great Britain
Mon, 23 May 2022, 19:20, live on ORF Sport+

Already played:

Sweden vs. Austria 3:1 (2:1,1:0,0:0)
Sat, 14 May 2022, 11:20, Nokia Arena Tampere
Sweden scorers:Joel Kellman (3rd minute), Max Friberg (17th minute), Joakim Nordström (33rd minute)
Austria scorer:Peter Schneider (20th minute)

Austria vs. USA 2:3 after overtime (1:0,1:1,0:1,0:1)
Sun, 15 May 2022, 15:20, Nokia Arena Tampere
Austria scorers:Benjamin Nissner (15th minute), Paul Huber (35th minute)
USA scorers:Kieffer Bellows (35th minute), Adam Gaudette (49th minute/PP1), Luke Hughes (63rd minute)

Czech Republic vs. Austria 1:2 after a penalty shootout (1:0,0:0,0:1,0:0,0:1)
Tue, 17 May 2022, 15:20, Nokia Arena Tampere
Czech Republic scorer: Roman Červenka (18th minute)
Austria scorers: Brian Lebler (60th minute), Peter Schneider with the decisive penalty (65th minute)

Norway vs. Austria 5:3 (1:1,2:1,2:1)
Wed, 18 May 2022, 15:20, Nokia Arena Tampere
Norway scorers: Mats Rosseli Olsen (8th minute/SH, 48th minute/PP2), Andreas Martinsen (21st minute), Martin Røymark (32nd minute), Martin Rønnild (60th minute/EN)
Austria goalscorers: Dominique Heinrich (7/PP1), Lukas Haudum (27/PP1), Peter Schneider (57/PP)